The top law enforcement officer in Caledonia County has died.
Sheriff James Hemond passed away after battling a "rare cancer," according to a statement shared by the Caledonia County Sheriff’s Department Sunday afternoon.
Hemond was elected sheriff in November 2022. Prior to that, he had been a member of the department for 17 years, and previously worked at both the St. Johnsbury and Lyndonville police departments.
Jack Harris, chief of the Lyndonville Police Department, worked closely with Hemond, who he hired in the mid-2000s. He said Hemond was deeply dedicated to both his family and his community.
"I have a very specific type of person I like to have work for me. It needs to be someone that is very family-oriented and very community-oriented, and you can't find someone that fits that description better than James Hemond," he said. "His wife and his daughters were the most important thing. It came before his job, which is the way it should be, and then next came the community."
On the department's Facebook post announcing his death, dozens of people shared stories of interacting with Hemond, many positive. He also served as a school board member and as a member of the board of directors for Northeast Kingdom Human Services.
"I think he was very well respected," said Essex County Sheriff Trevor Colby. "He's a very kind person, very thoughtful person, and he was very interested in rebuilding the department."
Hemond took over as sheriff after a series of incidents inside the department made local headlines. An audit found Hemond's predecessor gave out $400,000 in bonuses in 2022, and a former captain in the department pleaded guilty to charges related to soliciting sex and nude photos from women while on duty. The former deputy was later banned from policing in Vermont.
"James was really committed to rebuilding the department and being able to provide the services to the community," Colby said.
Hemond was honored last month by his colleagues for his work helping to get the sheriff's department building renovated, a key step in expanding services. Colby said he was also focused on hiring, and this summer was able to return the department to patrolling the Caledonia County Fair, something Hemond was proud of.
"He really was compassionate about being the sheriff — meant a lot to him, and everybody right now is really just feeling for his family," he said.
Hemond is survived by his wife and two daughters.
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