Sheriff Nicholas Cocchi is a highly decorated corrections professional whose skills, competence and thorough understanding of the corrections processes and duties of Sheriff of Hampden County exceeds the high benchmarks necessary to keep our community safe and return offenders to our streets as productive and contributing members of our society.

Sheriff Cocchi rose through the ranks in the sheriff’s department, ultimately ascending to assistant superintendent before being elected as the 16th sheriff of Hampden County to replace his mentor and friend, Sheriff Michael J. Ashe, Jr.  Prior to being elected sheriff in 2016, Sheriff Cocchi was the recipient of several Sheriff’s Department awards including; Employee of the Month, the Distinguished Service Award and the prestigious Mike Dodson (Supervisor of the Year) Award.

Sheriff Cocchi is a lifelong resident of Ludlow and a graduate of Ludlow High School. He holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Government from Western New England University and earned his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Elms College, where he currently serves on their MBA Advisory Council.

Sheriff Cocchi acknowledges that the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department has been a part of history, locally and nationally. He is committed to the standard of excellence that has been recognized nationwide by our peers in corrections, by law enforcement and even the President of the United States. That standard – our commitment to be compassionate agents of change and not just custodians of our fellow man – is the foundation of our sheriff’s department and how we ensure the welfare and well-being of all those placed in our care today and in the future.