A state oversight committee has recommended that Jefferson County sheriff candidate Tyler Anderson be stripped of his law enforcement certifications for life, a decision that could legally bar him from serving as sheriff even if he wins November's general election.

The Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training's Police Policy Committee made the recommendation following a May 21 hearing in Salem. The full 26-member DPSST board must still vote to finalize the decision, and Anderson has said he intends to appeal.

A Troubled Employment History

Anderson, who has worked in law enforcement for 17 years, was fired from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in April 2025 after an internal investigation uncovered a pattern of serious concerns. Among the findings:

  • Anderson omitted from his Jefferson County job application a prior firing from a volunteer position with the Parma, Idaho Police Department, which he acknowledged doing because he believed it would harm his chances of being hired.
  • JCSO officials alleged Anderson deleted text message conversations with a confidential informant.
  • Anderson reportedly disclosed to colleagues that he had previously used cocaine and helped package drugs for a dealer while in college.

Following his termination, two local district attorneys — covering Jefferson and Crook counties — placed Anderson on a Brady List, a roster maintained by prosecutors identifying officers with documented histories of dishonesty or misconduct. Officers on the Brady List face limitations in court testimony because their credibility may be challenged.

Anderson Disputes Findings

At the May 21 hearing, Anderson pushed back on the DPSST process, arguing the investigation was incomplete. "None of the witnesses, my background investigators or members of the public that we asked to be interviewed were interviewed," he told the committee.

Anderson said he had passed a polygraph related to the Idaho employment omission and denied deleting evidence related to the informant contact. On the drug use allegations, he acknowledged using cocaine twice, calling it "a stupid decision," and said omitting it from an application was "an oversight."

DPSST committee members said they had independently confirmed his employment at the Idaho department.

What Revocation Would Mean

Oregon law requires that a county sheriff hold valid law enforcement certification within one year of taking office. If the full DPSST board upholds the revocation recommendation and Anderson's appeal fails, he would be legally unable to serve as sheriff even if elected in November.

Anderson has stated he will remain in the race, setting up a general election contest against incumbent Sheriff Jason Pollock that will now unfold under the shadow of the ongoing certification dispute. Voters will decide the sheriff's race on November 3.