"In November 2024, voters elected Sheriff Van der Kamp to be the Sheriff of Deschutes County, in part to bring much needed change to DCSO. In April 2025, DA Gunnels placed Sheriff Van der Kamp on the Brady List for dishonesty. As time progressed, more allegations regarding Sheriff Van der Kamp being dishonest has surfaced. The members of
"In November 2024, voters elected Sheriff Van der Kamp to be the Sheriff of Deschutes County, in part to bring much needed change to DCSO. In April 2025, DA Gunnels placed Sheriff Van der Kamp on the Brady List for dishonesty. As time progressed, more allegations regarding Sheriff Van der Kamp being dishonest has surfaced. The members of the Deschutes County Sheriff Employee Association will not tolerate dishonesty from anyone in our organization.
Over the past several weeks, members of DCSEA have voted on several issues related to Sheriff Van der Kamp. Based on the results of the voting for those issues, DCSEA has requested Sheriff Van der Kamp to resign effective immediately. Additionally, DCSEA has requested Sheriff Van der Kamp reimburse DCSEA funds provided to him for legal defense during the 2024 election. A notice of these requests were provided to Sheriff Van der Kamp on June 4, 2025.
The members of DCSEA remain committed to providing superior public safety and keeping the publics trust."
Respectfully,
DCSEA President Sergeant Daniel (Danny) Graham
"By resigning today, van der Kamp helps the sheriff’s office rebuild. By resigning today, he does not reverse any mistakes. He does release the deputies and staff at the sheriff’s office from operating under a cloud. By resigning today, he helps to ensure the community that law enforcement is not built on lies. By resigning today, van der
"By resigning today, van der Kamp helps the sheriff’s office rebuild. By resigning today, he does not reverse any mistakes. He does release the deputies and staff at the sheriff’s office from operating under a cloud. By resigning today, he helps to ensure the community that law enforcement is not built on lies. By resigning today, van der Kamp can continue to fight to clarify whatever he believes investigations and state boards may have gotten wrong about him. He can stop dragging the rest of the county along.
If van der Kamp does want to change the culture at the sheriff’s office, the most important thing he can do now is leave."
- Bulletin Editorial Board
"The Deschutes County Republican Party stands with the County Commissioners
in calling for the immediate resignation of Sheriff Kent van der Kamp, following the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training’s (DPSST) recent vote to permanently revoke his law enforcement certification. A final vote is scheduled for July, but t
"The Deschutes County Republican Party stands with the County Commissioners
in calling for the immediate resignation of Sheriff Kent van der Kamp, following the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training’s (DPSST) recent vote to permanently revoke his law enforcement certification. A final vote is scheduled for July, but the outcome is clear: the process has run its course, and the people of Deschutes County deserve closure and restored confidence in their sheriff’s office, not months from now, but today.
Although Sheriff van der Kamp has stated his intention to retire in the coming months,
continuing to serve under the cloud of lifetime decertification, ethical violations, and public distrust is unacceptable.
The pattern of dishonesty, the DPSST’s recommendation, and the calls from local officials underscore the complexity and sensitivity of the issue. It’s time for Deschutes County to move forward with new leadership that our community can trust. We urge Sheriff van der Kamp to step down immediately and allow the county to begin the process of appointing a qualified, ethical replacement. Someone who will lead with integrity, transparency, and accountability."
- DCRP Chair, Keith Rockow
"For the good of law enforcement, and for his own good, Kent van der Kamp needs to resign as sheriff — now, not in 90 days when he is closer to collecting a pension. Not in three months, as he has suggested. This has been his pattern. Move on, move away, hope his dishonesties will be forgotten or hidden under the dust of time.
Van der Kam
"For the good of law enforcement, and for his own good, Kent van der Kamp needs to resign as sheriff — now, not in 90 days when he is closer to collecting a pension. Not in three months, as he has suggested. This has been his pattern. Move on, move away, hope his dishonesties will be forgotten or hidden under the dust of time.
Van der Kamp has dishonored the office of Sheriff. As Sheriff, he represents all deputies, and to some extent, he represents all law enforcement. He is now revealed as an insecure man, someone not to be trusted under fire from bullets or words.
Though he believes otherwise, van der Kamp’s value in law enforcement approaches zero. Van der Kamp cannot lead honest deputies who are expected to perform to the highest standards, on the street and in the courtroom, who now know their sheriff will never be allowed to testify on their behalf."
- Erik Dolson, former publisher of The Nugget Newspaper, guest editorial.
"A fundamental qualification for sheriff is honesty. Van der Kamp tried to restore what he said was lost morale and public trust at the sheriff’s office. Instead, he undermined it. The state Board of Public Safety Standards and Training may revoke his law enforcement credentials on June 27. He has said he would contest that. What is not
"A fundamental qualification for sheriff is honesty. Van der Kamp tried to restore what he said was lost morale and public trust at the sheriff’s office. Instead, he undermined it. The state Board of Public Safety Standards and Training may revoke his law enforcement credentials on June 27. He has said he would contest that. What is not in question is that Deschutes County District Attorney Steve Gunnels has said van der Kamp cannot give future testimony in Deschutes County Circuit Court cases. Van der Kamp lied under oath about where he went to college. Van der Kamp supplied false documents to the Oregon State Police. No person should be able to continue as sheriff if they did such things.
Van der Kamp has said he plans to resign or retire. We expect he will. Not that it is especially relevant, but to his credit, when we reached out to him this week about the Alder Springs Fire, he responded swiftly. What if he doesn’t resign or retire? The Deschutes County Commission could remove him from office if his credentials are revoked. We would expect that they would do so. What if they don’t or if van der Kamp tries to contest it?
That’s where a recall or a recall attempt could send a clear message about what voters in Deschutes County want from their sheriff. A recall could take months. It couldn’t start until July 7. A petition must be filed. Signatures from qualified voters must be collected — 16,452 of them. Then the signatures would have to be verified. And then there could be a recall election."
- Bulletin Editorial Board
"Some things are too good to be true and it appears that this is one of those. Sheriff van der Kamp's endorsement is being revoked as he has been added to Deschutes County's Brady list. We remain committed to supporting candidates who respect Law and Order and the honesty and integrity that that requires. We will be implementing a more st
"Some things are too good to be true and it appears that this is one of those. Sheriff van der Kamp's endorsement is being revoked as he has been added to Deschutes County's Brady list. We remain committed to supporting candidates who respect Law and Order and the honesty and integrity that that requires. We will be implementing a more strenuous vetting process going forward to avoid another situation like this one."
-Deschutes Citizens for Law and Order PAC
"The Sheriff of Deschutes County, Kent van der Kamp, should resign. There, I said it. I wish it didn’t need to be said, or even considered, but when a pattern of deception is revealed in any member of law enforcement there can be no other outcome.
Because the stakes are too high. Because integrity matters. Because it is the right thing to do."
- Craig Rullman, letter to the The Nugget Newspaper
As a taxpayer I find it insulting that our Sheriff Kent van der Kamp wants to spend some $3,500 in taxpayer funds to travel to a law enforcement convention in Florida. He is a failure “on his way out” of law enforcement. I see no benefit for Deschutes County taxpayers in him attending the event. He has lied in court and lost his credibili
As a taxpayer I find it insulting that our Sheriff Kent van der Kamp wants to spend some $3,500 in taxpayer funds to travel to a law enforcement convention in Florida. He is a failure “on his way out” of law enforcement. I see no benefit for Deschutes County taxpayers in him attending the event. He has lied in court and lost his credibility as a witness. He needs to just go away and stop wasting our hard earned dollars.
Dave Stalker, letter to the Bulletin
We are community members who believe voters should have an opportunity to recall Kent van der Kamp as Sheriff in Deschutes County on the grounds of dishonesty, abuse of authority, and misconduct.
Until Kent van der Kamp is officially out of office the recall effort will move forward. A recall election is the fail safe to remove Kent van der Kamp as Sheriff, if he doesn't on his own.
Voters elected Kent van der Kamp, voters can remove him from the office of Sheriff through a recall election.
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