In a few weeks Deschutes County Sheriff Kent van der Kamp will step down, after just six months in office. The pressure for him to resign hit a crescendo last month, with calls to leave coming from local leaders, the office’s employee union and organizers of a recall effort, among others.

It’s a quick turnaround from the strong public endorsement van der Kamp had coming out of the 2024 election, when he won 60% of the vote.

As one of his last acts in office, van der Kamp has launched an internal investigation into his former political opponent in that race, Capt. William Bailey.

The investigation opened June 26, less than a week after Bailey appeared on a local radio show and publicly criticized van der Kamp. Reached Tuesday morning, the sheriff confirmed the investigation stems from comments Bailey made during the nearly two-hour long interview with KNCP, a community radio station in La Pine.

As a candidate, van der Kamp promised to change the culture at an agency besieged by allegations of political retaliation and discrimination against people who opposed former sheriff Shane Nelson. One of his first acts in office, van der Kamp told the Bulletin in May, was to implement transparency policies and allow more officers to speak to the press.

Van der Kamp’s resignation will take effect July 31, in the wake of local prosecutors and state officials finding he was dishonest for decades about his prior work experience and educational background. He’s been effectively barred from testifying in Deschutes County. At an upcoming state hearing, Oregon officials also are poised to ban him for life from serving as a law enforcement officer in the state.

Meanwhile, there’s no shortage of interest from candidates who want to be the next sheriff. Five of these hopefuls appeared at a public forum this week. Bailey, however, wasn’t among them.

“In talking to my family, and reflecting on the last nearly two years, I am not seeking to be considered for the appointment, nor will I run for the position of Sheriff,” Bailey wrote in a June 25 Facebook post.

“To my colleagues, this period of uncertainty and turmoil has been treacherous and difficult. I’m sorry for the unnecessary additional burden you’ve shouldered while putting public safety first.”

Bailey declined to discuss the internal investigation into him.

Van der Kamp also declined to comment on the probe, except to confirm it was related to statements Bailey made in the radio interview.

“I can’t, because there’s an open investigation involving that and I can’t talk about any open personnel investigations,” he said.

Bailey’s interview

During the interview on KCNP’s Muddtoe Radio Show, Bailey alleged that van der Kamp was not qualified to run for office and that since he was elected the credibility of the sheriff’s office has plummeted in the community and among the employees.

“He got elected by the people,” Bailey said during the June 20 interview. “And in my personal opinion, I think it was one of the ultimate con jobs. But he got elected and there comes a lot of power with that elected position.”

In April, an investigation by the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training found that Van der Kamp was terminated from a reserve police officer position in La Mesa, California in 1997. Van der Kamp did not later disclose that experience to Deschutes County or state regulators, DPSST found. If he had, the revelations could have derailed his career in Oregon law enforcement before it began.

DPSST staff also substantiated the Deschutes County district attorney’s findings that van der Kamp misrepresented his education and credentials while under oath during multiple criminal trials. DPSST’s board is set to vote July 24 on revoking van der Kamp’s certifications to be a law enforcement officer in Oregon.

Bailey told KCNP that since taking office van der Kamp has failed to make good on his campaign promises.

Bailey said those who helped van der Kamp during the election were favored afterward, while Bailey faced a demotion.

“There was also very clear, in my opinion, quid pro quo,” Bailey said.

When reached by OPB, Bailey declined to talk about what he said on the air, citing the open internal investigation.

Bailey remains on active duty. During the radio interview, he said he’d consider an interim-sheriff appointment and running again, but then Bailey made the public statement on Facebook declaring he would do neither.

A leadership ‘rollercoaster’

The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners is accepting applications for interim-sheriff through Friday. The board is expected to select a candidate before van der Kamp resigns July 31. A special election to choose the next elected sheriff is slated for May 19, 2026, and an appointed candidate will likely have an advantage in that race.

The Deschutes County Sheriff Employee’s Association plans to submit its members’ votes on an appointee for the elected officials to consider this month.

On Monday night, the union hosted a public forum where a group of five current or retired law enforcement officers gave their pitches for the endorsement. It was a first for the union, according to DCSEA President Daniel Graham. When the commissioners have appointed an interim-sheriff in the past it’s been with a recommendation from the retiring sheriff, not the union, he said.

County Commissioner Phil Chang was at the union forum. He said the union’s vote will weigh heavily for him when he’s considering who to appoint.

“One of the most urgent things we need is someone who can inspire the trust and belief of the sheriff’s office employees,” Chang said. “These people have been on a roller coaster with their leadership for years at this point.”

Each of the five candidates at the forum have a long history of service in the region, though not all have worked at the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

Among the topics discussed, each sheriff-hopeful said they would work on tackling the department’s budget woes and rebuilding trust and accountability following the controversies of the last two sheriffs.

Sheriff hopefuls

Six interim-sheriff candidates are in the mix, with Friday’s deadline to apply fast approaching. Only one candidate declared that if appointed he would not seek election.

Cory Darling is Central Oregon Community College’s director of campus safety and emergency management. He said that he would focus on steadying the agency and that he has no political ambitions. Darling was Sunriver Police Department’s chief from 2018 to 2022. Before that he worked for decades at the Bend Police Department. He began his career with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in 1988.

Another candidate, Lt. James McLaughlin, joined DCSO in 2001 and was promoted to lieutenant under van der Kamp in February. McLaughlin said that regardless of who the commissioners appoint, he’ll be running for office next May. McLaughlin was a vocal supporter of van der Kamp during the election. In a tort claim notice his attorneys sent to the county last June, McLaughlin said he experienced retaliation and discrimination under former Sheriff Shane Nelson. The tort claim alleges Nelson targeted McLaughlin for supporting van der Kamp’s candidacy, and because McLaughlin was involved in union organizing.

Former Deschutes County Capt. Deron McMaster was also at the forum. McMaster joined DCSO in 1993 and rose to captain, but was demoted in September 2021, following an internal affairs investigation into his conduct by Nelson. McMaster resigned and later sued the sheriff and office for $2.5 million, alleging retaliation and civil rights violations following his demotion. Deschutes County settled the suit last year for $265,000.

DCSO Undersheriff Aaron Wells is also in the running to replace his boss. He was hired by van der Kamp in January. Before that, Wells had worked at the Redmond Police Department for decades..

The final member of the current sheriff’s administration to participate in the forum was Capt. Ty Rupert, a detective and special services commander. Rupert joined the office in 2005 and was promoted under van der Kamp on Jan. 1.

Gabe Burchfiel, a digital forensics detective at the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, was not at the forum, but he submitted a letter of interest to the commissioners for the interim-sheriff appointment. Burchfiel was hired at DCSO in 2022, and was with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office from 2006 to 2021.

Jennifer Baires is a freelance journalist based in Bend. She can be reached at [email protected].

Editor’s note: OPB is a nonprofit, statewide news organization with a mission to tell stories for communities in all parts of Oregon and Southwest Washington. As part of that goal, The Source partners with OPB and freelancers to identify stories like this that might otherwise go untold.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/08/deschutes-county-sheriff-kent-van-der-camp-oregon-bend/