With just days left until Deschutes County Sheriff Kent van der Kamp leaves office, the county’s commissioners on Tuesday appointed an interim-sheriff to lead the beleaguered agency.

Van der Kamp’s short-lived term will end on Thursday. In a split vote, the commissioners appointed Capt. Ty Rupert as his replacement for now.

Van der Kamp was elected handedly last November with 60% of the vote. Public opinion quickly turned on the sheriff following multiple investigations from county and state oversight agencies into claims he was deceitful about his past work history and education. In a decision last week, a state board approved a lifetime ban against Van der Kamp ever returning to Oregon law enforcement, which he has appealed. Van der Kamp tendered his resignation last month after a recall effort to remove him went public.

The county commissioners expressed hope on Tuesday that interim-sheriff Rupert could restore trust among employees in the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and faith among the public. The interim-sheriff’s term will last from Aug. 1 until January 2027, when a newly elected sheriff is sworn in. Voters will decide on that person in the November 2026 election.

Commissioner Chair Tony DeBone suggested Rupert for appointment after just a few minutes of remarks Tuesday.

“I’ll step into it,” DeBone said. “I would like to start off by proposing that Capt. Ty Rupert be the proposed sheriff for this appointment. There’s a name for us.”

Commissioner Patti Adair quickly agreed. But Commissioner Phil Chang asked the board to consider discussing other candidates. Five current and former law enforcement officers from the region applied for the high-profile position, including other high-ranking officers at DCSO.

Chang pointed to Lt. James McLaughlin for consideration. McLaughlin was the Deschutes County Sheriff Employee’s Association’s top pick in a recent ranked-choice vote the union held. Adair and DeBone said that while they appreciated the other candidates, they were sticking with Rupert.

“I think it’s really important to have someone steady,” Adair said. “There are probably 22 different smaller departments in the sheriff’s office, and I just feel like Ty Rupert could be the person to lead in this interim 18 months.”

Rupert joined Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office in 2005 as a reserve officer. He rose through the ranks, making lieutenant in 2016 and was promoted by van der Kamp to captain in January. For roughly a decade, from 2013 until 2024, Rupert was van der Kamp’s direct supervisor, according to a letter of support for van der Kamp that Rupert sent to Oregon’s Department of Public Safety Standards and Training committee when it was investigating him.

In part, DPSST was investigating van der Kamp’s previous employment at the La Mesa Police Department in California. Van der Kamp didn’t disclose that history when applying at the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. According to DPSST’s investigation, he was terminated from his reserve officer role there following an internal investigation that found he was untruthful about his certifications to use a radar gun for traffic stops.

In the April letter, Rupert wrote that he knew about van der Kamp’s history as a reserve officer in La Mesa, California. It was never a secret, he said. Despite that past defense of van der Kamp, Rupert said he was ready to move on.

“It’s sad to me that our office is in the position that it is today,” Rupert said in an interview after the commissioner’s appointment. “I wish Kent the best in his retirement and his future endeavors, but as far as I am concerned, we have a sort of crossroads in our office and we need to change. We owe it to our community and we owe it to our employees to change.”

Outside of his 20 years at the sheriff’s office, Rupert cited his previous service in the Marine Corps and his time as vice president at Fuel Safe Systems in Redmond as qualifications for leading the sheriff’s office.

He said he is planning on running for sheriff during the next election.

“It’s important to me, though, that I focus on the culture, the health, the stability of our office for the next several months to stabilize our office,” Rupert said. “To bring that integrity, that trust back and make a healthy work environment for the employees.”

Rupert said he plans to address the loss of community trust by going back to basics and remembering that the purpose of law enforcement officers is to serve citizens.

A ceremony to swear Rupert into office is planned for Thursday. The first day candidates can file for the next sheriff’s election is Sept. 11. If more than three candidates file, there will be a primary election on May 19.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/29/new-deschutes-county-sheriff-named/