James van Beek has served in the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office since 1989. He was elected sheriff in 2014.
An advocate for providing proper care and services to people with mental and behavioral health issues, a group that often ends up in contact with law enforcement, Sheriff van Beek helped form a co-responder program and a coalition of community resources in the county in response to those needs.
He's passionate about efforts to improve restorative justice programs and decriminalize mental health issues.
The honorably discharged U.S. Army veteran served nearly nine years as a civilian police officer with a United Nations mission in Kosovo and as a police mentor supervisor in Afghanistan to help build a police service of local nationals.
He’s fluent in multiple languages. He’s also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.