Commissioner Phil Chang calls on sheriff Kent van der Kamp to resign

The Police Policy Committee of the state’s law enforcement regulatory agency voted Thursday to permanently revoke Deschutes County Sheriff Kent van der Kamp’s law enforcement credentials.

The unanimous recommendation will go before by the Board of Public Safety Standards and Training at its next meeting July 27. The move has led Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang to join others calling for van der Kamp to resign.

 A draft report obtained by The Bulletin indicates investigators had already tentatively found van der Kamp guilty of dishonesty and misconduct, both for failing to disclose his prior termination from the La Mesa Police Department in California and for lying while under oath in Deschutes County Circuit Court.

In a letter sent to The Bulletin, Chang acknowledged the good work van der Kamp has done in changing the reputation of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, but said in order for that change to continue he must step down.

“The opportunity to establish a new culture at the Sheriff’s Office will require that van der Kamp can recognize what Sheriff (Shane) Nelson could not — that the Sheriff is not above the law. In this moment, Sheriff van der Kamp can put concern for his team first and demonstrate the integrity and understanding that the rules apply to him too. By doing so, van der Kamp can distinguish himself from his predecessor and finish turning the page on Sheriff Nelson.”

During his term, Nelson was widely criticized for creating a toxic workplace culture inside the sheriff’s office. A slew of tort claim notices — an official notification sent to public agencies of intent to file a lawsuit — ahead of last year’s election described a culture of bullying, quid pro quo promotions and retaliation for speaking out against leadership.

Van der Kamp won that election with a campaign that promised a new era of integrity and transparency for the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, but just as his campaign was plagued with rumors and allegations of dishonesty, the early days of van der Kamp’s administration have been equally tumultuous.

On April 8, Deschutes County District Attorney Steve Gunnels barred van der Kamp from giving future testimony in Deschutes County Circuit Court cases, otherwise known as placing him on the so-called Brady list of dishonest law enforcement officers. A report released a week later revealed a months-long investigation by the district attorney’s office that found van der Kamp lied while under oath about where he went to college; the report says van der Kamp supplied false documents to Oregon State Police, namely resumes, and lists three criminal cases in which van der Kamp falsely testified about his education.

After this information went public, Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler told The Bulletin she believes van der Kamp should resign.

“As a former prosecutor, I know that any decision by a District Attorney to place a law enforcement officer on the Brady list is not taken lightly,” Mayor Melanie Kelber said in an email. “It is a strong signal about that officer’s credibility. The office of Sheriff demands honesty, integrity, and transparency. Unfortunately, I don’t believe Sheriff van der Kamp can repair this break in public trust.”

Kebler and Chang are not alone in their sentiment that Van der Kamp has irreparably damaged trust with the public. On May 14, the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association voted unanimously to expel van der Kamp from its membership in light of his placement on the Brady list, removing a sitting sheriff from the association for possibly the first time since the professional organization was founded in 1916.

Van der Kamp has not said whether he intends to resign, and he may not until the Board of Public Safety Standards and Training decides whether to accept the Police Policy Board disciplinary recommendation when it next meets on July 27.

Van der Kamp has said he will not decide whether to resign from his position as sheriff until as late as July. He was elected in November and assumed office in January. If the Board of Public Safety Standards and Training does not permanently revoke his credentials, he would be subject to a three-year minimum credential revocation penalty for misconduct and additional three-year minimum for dishonesty. However, per Oregon State law, the Sheriff must have obtained all necessary law enforcement credentials within one year of taking office.

Should he step down, the Deschutes County Commission would appoint an interim sheriff to serve until the 2027 election.