Kent Vander Kamp, candidate for Deschutes County Sheriff

Party:|
Nonpartisan

Occupation:
Detective Sergeant, Central Oregon Drug Enforcement / Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office

Relevant Experience:
Detective Sergeant - Major Investigations Team - Tri-County
Sergeant - Patrol Division - Deschutes County Sheriff's Office
Special Federal Officer - Federal Bureau of Investigation
SWAT Tactical Medic
Detective - Criminal Investigations, Major Crimes, Street Crimes & CODE
Deputy Sheriff - Patrol
Reserve Deputy
Deschutes County Facility Project Review Committee - Appointed Board Member
Board of Directors, Non-Profit CLEAR Alliance Children’s Educational
President / CEO - Oracle Funding Corporation

Personal Information:
Born: February 21, 1973
Age: 51
Wife: Rachel, Daughters: Isabella and Juliet
Resides in Bend, Oregon

Website: VoteVanderKamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VoteVanderKampForSheriff
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/votevanderkampsheriff/

What qualifications and/or experience do you believe make you the best candidate to fill this position?

With 20 years in law enforcement and 30 years as a corporate executive, Kent Vander Kamp is the only Sheriff candidate who embodies forward-thinking, collaborative leadership grounded in experience, education, transparency, accountability.

As Sheriff, Kent will be transparent with all community partners, especially other public safety agencies. He will listen to all thoughts and concerns of the community and work with them to create reforms.​​

Kent will create a new strategic plan with clear, measurable goals around crime reduction, community engagement, and common-sense solutions to homelessness. This will lead to a more effective, efficient, transparent Sheriff's Office and the retention of high-quality leadership, deputies, and staff.

What are the top two issues you see facing those in this role, and how do you plan to address them?

Kent advocates a realistic approach to homeless and mental health policies, acknowledging the unrealistic expectation for impaired and mentally ill individuals to make rational decisions. He emphasizes holding those who refuse services and commit crimes in the homeless community accountable.

Kent will stop wasteful spending, eliminate waste, and restore budget balance to align with approved permanent tax levies. The Sheriff's Office urgently requires a fresh perspective, heightened accountability, and restored public confidence after a decade of legal battles, negative news headlines and controversies.