Kent Vander Kamp

Deschutes County Sheriff candidate Kent Vander Kamp said Friday he was dismissed from his position as a volunteer reserve officer for the La Mesa Police Department for minor policy infractions, documents about which the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office has been working to obtain for months in a lawsuit against the city of La Mesa, California.

Vander Kamp did not disclose this prior volunteer law enforcement job in his 2004 application to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

In a statement posted on his campaign website, Vander Kamp said he was “apparently” dismissed from the La Mesa Police Department for using speed radar equipment without proper certification. Vander Kamp, now a sergeant at the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, goes on to add that he failed to report a gas station visit and that he assisted another officer in his logbook, though those allegations were dismissed with corrective training, he said.

“I was young, immature, and inexperienced at that time, and I regret my actions,” Vander Kamp said. “These incidents do not represent who I am today nor reflect the commitment I’ve shown to public safety in Deschutes County over the past 22 years. With time and experience, I’ve learned valuable lessons and take full responsibility for my past errors.”

Vander Kamp was hired by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office in 2004, where he is now a sergeant and head of field operations for the interagency Central Oregon Drug Enforcement team. He is running in Nov. 5 election against Capt. William Bailey, who also works for the sheriff’s department and was endorsed by Nelson after he announced he would not be seeking another term as sheriff.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office’s quest to obtain Vander Kamp’s employment documents, first reported by The Bulletin, began in April when Sheriff Shane Nelson began investigating Vander Kamp’s previous experience with the La Mesa Police Department on the belief Vander Kamp was fired for dishonesty in 1997. Vander Kamp worked with the La Mesa Police Department from 1995 to 1997.

Read more:

Judge to rule on Deschutes sheriff candidate Vander Kamp’s records

But when Nelson’s public information request for Vander Kamp’s employment records came back empty, he sued the city of La Mesa for failing to disclose records of an internal investigation into Vander Kamp that a captain in the La Mesa Police Department told Nelson had been kept by the city.

So far, the lawsuit has cost Deschutes County taxpayers close to $14,000, which The Bulletin confirmed through invoices sent to Briggs Law Corp. in Southern California, which is representing the sheriff’s office in the case in San Diego County Superior Court. It is unclear what other costs the sheriff’s office has incurred through filing fees, sending Capt. Paul Garrison to La Mesa to deliver testimony or other actions related to this lawsuit.

Vander Kamp said he had never seen the confidential personnel documents, and that he never received a written notice of dismissal or discipline.

“Last night, I finally obtained clarity on these issues after reading the confidential personnel documents I had never seen before,” he said Friday in his statement.

In earlier interviews with The Bulletin, he said he did not remember the circumstances under which he left the La Mesa police Department. He also said that he was not placed on a Brady list, which is a list kept by district attorneys documenting officers accused of dishonesty.

“As of today, my college credits, reserve, and training certificates remain in good standing. I sincerely apologize to my supporters for any concern or confusion this may have caused, and I thank you for your continued trust,” Vander Kamp said in his release.