One of the candidates for Deschutes County Sheriff, Sgt. Kent Vander Kamp, spoke out Friday, sharing details about his dismissal from a volunteer role with a California police department 27 years ago.
Vander Kamp is running against Capt. William Bailey to succeed retiring Sheriff Shane Nelson. The race has grown contentious, particularly within the sheriff’s office.
According to the Bend Bulletin, Nelson, who has endorsed Bailey, sought information on why Vander Kamp was dismissed from the La Mesa Police Department nearly three decades ago. The search for these records began after Vander Kamp announced his candidacy.
On his campaign website Friday, Vander Kamp explained that he recently received confidential personnel documents related to his time as an unpaid volunteer with La Mesa Police after college. He claimed these documents revealed information he had never seen before.
After finishing the college program and volunteering in late 1997, I was dismissed from the volunteer position for using speed radar equipment without proper certification, Vander Kamp wrote. Another allegation involved not reporting a stop at a gas station and assisting an officer on my logbook. This was resolved with corrective training, which ended with a positive review. Although these allegations were cleared, I only recently learned of my dismissal through these internal documents.
Vander Kamp noted that the documents did not include any formal notice of his dismissal or disciplinary action addressed to him but admitted his mistakes.
“I was young, immature, and inexperienced then, and I regret my actions. These incidents don’t reflect who I am today or my 22 years of service in public safety in Deschutes County. With time and experience, I’ve learned valuable lessons and fully take responsibility for my past errors,” he said.
Central Oregon Daily News has not obtained the records and cannot verify Vander Kamp’s claims at this time.
Last month, Vander Kamp filed a tort notice alleging retaliation and harassment by the sheriff’s office in connection with the election.