Salem, OR. — In a public statement, Vanessa Nordyke addressed the controversy surrounding the reappointment of Kyle Hedquist to Salem’s Community Police Review Board, acknowledging gaps in vetting, outlining why she initially supported the appointment, and announcing steps to reconsider the decision following input from public safety unions.
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I want to be transparent with you about the re-appointment of Kyle Hedquist to the Community Police Review Board and the steps I’m taking moving forward.
Before joining Council, I served on the Community Police Review Board myself. From that experience, I learned firsthand that the CPRB didn’t have the power to discipline officers or decide their compensation. Officers weren’t even required to attend our CPRB hearings, and during my time there, none did. I left feeling like the board didn’t have real teeth.
Our City Council voted unanimously to appoint Kyle Hedquist to the Community Police Review Board on May 13, 2024. I didn’t know his criminal record at the time and staff failed to conduct a background check for him. Mr. Hedquist proceeded to serve on the CPRB without any concerns, until city staff later ran the background check and discovered his prior convictions.
Here’s the context I was working with at the time of my vote: City staff told me that Hedrick had a conviction for Aggravated Murder and Burglary from 1995. He was released in 2022 after a sentence commutation and has since testified before the Oregon legislature, earning respect from legislators by sharing his experience. We had a legislator and others who wrote letters of support urging his reappointment. By all accounts, he’s been a productive, a contributing member of our community with no new criminal history in decades. He’s now a college graduate and a strong example of successful rehabilitation. The fact that he served on CPRB already and even completed a police ridealong without incident made a positive impression on me.
At the December 8, 2025 Council meeting, the Mayor and Council unanimously appointed him to the Citizen Traffic Advisory Commission. There was consensus about the power of second chances. But the vote was split over whether to also appoint him to CPRB and Civil Service Commission.
After our vote to reappoint Mr. Hedquist on December 8, our police and fire unions emailed me to express their concerns and ask Council to reconsider the appointments. The police and firefighter unions each raised legitimate concerns that I hadn’t fully considered. After weighing this new information, I realized I should have sought broader input before the vote. He should be removed from the public safety boards.
I’ve instructed city staff to draft the motion to reconsider Mr. Hedquist’s appointments to public safety boards. This will be brought to Council when we reconvene in 2026.
Here’s what I believe: good leaders listen, adapt, and course-correct when needed. City staff have acknowledged the vetting process needs improvement, and I agree. I hope my colleagues will join me in evaluating new criteria and do better going forward.
As the most senior member of Salem City Council, my record of supporting public safety is indisputably the strongest of any member of the Council today. It’s important to couple any criticism with the facts of my record, which is publicly available on the City’s website. A major portion of my career experience was 14 years as an Assistant Attorney General, keeping violent felons and child molesters behind bars. My commitment to public safety runs deep.
Before a single one of my current colleagues joined me on Council:
- In April 2020, as the pandemic emerged, I was proud to ratify a contract with the Salem Police Employees’ Union that provided new premium pays and increased vacation time based on longevity.
- In May 2020, I voted to increase some police and fire classifications by 5% as they, too, were on the frontline of our pandemic response. We increased compensation for Salem Police Sergeants in April 2021.
- In the summer of 2020, amid racial justice protests, I motioned for an independent audit of Salem Police Department policies. For the community’s benefit and transparency, this independent audit was completed and presented to identify areas of strength and improvement, ensuring our city maintains high standards for law enforcement. It also identified efficiencies to maximize our talents at Salem Police while we face understaffing.
- In 2021, we were fortunate to welcome Chief Trevor Womack from Stockton, CA. Chief Womack champions evidence-based policing practices and building community trust.
- In 2021, I voted to approve a hiring bonus program to support new recruits and sworn officer positions.
- In November 2021, I voted to approve increases to Police Lieutenant pay, education incentives, an increase in employer contribution to retirement, and an increase to holiday pay differentials.
- In March 2022, I voted to add seven full-time equivalent positions to the Police Community Engagement Program, and in April, voted to continue the Police Hiring Bonus Program.
- In June 2022, I voted in favor of adding six career-level police positions with $483,000 in Salem’s General Fund.
- In September 2022, I voted to approve the creation of a new Senior Police Community Services Officer classification.
Since my current colleagues joined Council:
- In February 2023, I voted to approve a 3% compensation increase for sworn police employees.
- In June 2023, I was proud to vote to ratify the IAFF Local 314 collective bargaining agreement which provides a 3% salary increase every six months through June 2026, along with new premiums and improvements to incentive and certification pay.
- In February 2024, I voted to approve a new represented Fire Marshal classification.
- In June 2024, I voted to approve a successor collective bargaining agreement with the Salem Police Employees Union, which provided a 9% across-the-board increase and a 4% increase in 2025. This agreement also featured significant increases to life insurance terms and keeps the SPEU’s health insurance affordable at $65 a month.
- In July 2025, I voted to approve new job classifications for Assistant Police Chief and Fire Inspector 1.
- In November 2025, I voted to approve the addition of a 10% graveyard differential and a city match to police employees’ deferred compensation accounts.
This record speaks for itself. I’ve consistently championed our public safety departments because I believe a safe community is the foundation for everything else we want to achieve.
When I’m elected as Salem’s next mayor, I commit to maintaining open, communicative relationships with Salem’s unions and keeping an open-door policy. I value public input and productive conversations because they help me make better decisions. I want to be a leader who actively seeks different perspectives, reconsiders when presented with new information, and isn’t afraid to change course when it’s the right thing to do. That’s the kind of leadership you deserve. I hope our community can find ways to agree as we move forward from this.
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