Kevin Bloom

Criminal Justice / Public Safety There is no system of accountability for sheriffs in Vermont. In office, I will advocate to change state law to create commonsense oversight, guardrails, and a recall mechanism so voters can curtail the king-like power of a sheriff in their community. Regardless of funding structure, a public resource belongs to the public interest. Politicians like to talk about increasing transparency with vague language and no tangible plan to actually do so. I will make the sheriff’s financial records public and begin collecting policing data, which in the year 2026, they still are not currently doing. Immigration Nationally and in Vermont, the increase in federal immigration activity threatens the fabric of our communities. As sheriff, I will not just refuse to collaborate with ICE, I will stand up to ICE to keep our neighbors safe. Our communities are not safe when federal agencies kidnap our neighbors. Housing Sometimes eviction is the only option. Eviction is a tool, but it's not a hammer and every case is not a nail. I will connect tenants with a good paying job, and use the resources we already have to mediate a payment plan with landlords, as well as offer tenants financial literacy and other support resources to create stable solutions. The cheapest and most effective way to address the eviction crisis is head on at the start of the process. If we could evict our way out of an eviction crisis, we would have by now. Housing Crime is a function of people’s needs not being met. I cannot think of a more effective way to deprive someone of their needs than to remove them from their housing in Vermont’s winter. Housing alone will not fix every issue, but it is a necessary first step to addressing community safety. Housing As sheriff, instead of a maximal eviction policy, I will do the hard and meaningful work of eviction prevention to keep children and families in their homes and to get landlords paid in full. Eviction is an expensive and time consuming process for landlords, and the system fails both parties.