SALEM, Ore. — The Salem City Council voted 5–4 on Dec. 8 to reappoint Kyle Hedquist to the city’s Community Police Review Board, a volunteer panel that reviews complaints about police conduct and makes recommendations to the police chief.
Councilors Linda Nishioka, Vanessa Nordyke, Micki Varney, Irvin Brown and Mai Vang voted yes. Mayor Julie Hoy and Councilors Paul Tigan, Shane Matthews and Deanna Gwyn voted no.
After the vote, public safety unions and residents pushed back, saying Salem has no business putting a convicted murderer in a position tied to public safety oversight. Salem Police Employees Union President Scotty Nowning said the controversy is as much about the city’s guardrails as it is about Hedquist. “This isn’t even necessarily about Mr. Hedquist,” Nowning said. “Because if you move him off there, if you don’t change your guardrails … you could just put someone else on there with equal criminal history or worse.”…