By Not only do Democrats want to free murderers from jail, they now want to appoint them to positions where they can decide who stays in jail and who gets parole. The Salem City Council is facing mounting criticism after a narrow 5–4 vote earlier this month to reappoint Kyle Hedquist, a convicted murderer whose life sentence was commuted, to the city’s Community Police Review Board.
The December 8 decision immediately drew backlash from public safety officials, unions, and some residents, who argue the move undermines confidence in a board tasked with reviewing citizen complaints against the Salem Police Department.
Hedquist was convicted in 1995 of the aggravated murder of 19-year-old Nikki Thrasher in Douglas County. At age 18, prosecutors said he shot Thrasher in the head and left her body on a remote logging road, fearing she might report him for hiding stolen property. Law enforcement at the time characterized the killing as calculated and execution-style, according to That Oregon Life.
After serving roughly 27 years in prison, Hedquist was released in 2022 following the commutation of his life sentence by former Oregon Gov. Kate Brown. He was first appointed unanimously to the Community Police Review Board in 2024 and has since completed one year of service.
The reappointment ran counter to the recommendation of the city’s Boards and Commissions Appointments Committee, which advised leaving the seat vacant, citing requirements to weigh applicants’ criminal histories. During the council debate, Councilor Mai Vang introduced an amendment to reappoint Hedquist, arguing that his lived experience within the criminal justice system offered a perspective not otherwise represented on the board, explained Fox News.
“Kyle brings a perspective that most of us don’t have,” Vang wrote in a post on her official Facebook page. “As someone who’s been through the criminal justice system, he understands community safety from a different angle. He’s one voice among nine — he’s not running the show, but his experience matters.”
Addressing concerns about a twice-yearly police ride-along requirement for board members, Vang noted the city manager can waive the rule, and Hedquist is already ineligible due to his felony conviction.
“I believe people can change,” she added. “Kyle’s recent work shows he’s genuine about turning his life around and using his experience to help others. And honestly? If any of us needed a second chance, we’d want the same consideration.”
One conservative commentator explained why the left so routinely exercises their power this way.
The humiliation is the point. https://t.co/zCGXThOirJ
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) December 29, 2025
Opponents warned the decision risks eroding public trust. Councilor Shane Matthews said the reappointment sends the wrong message about accountability and standards for oversight bodies.
Public safety unions reacted sharply. The Salem Police Employees Union and local firefighters described the move as a “credibility crisis,” contending that placing a convicted murderer on a police oversight board compromises its legitimacy in the eyes of officers and the public alike.
Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson acknowledged that rehabilitation is possible but said positions that directly affect public safety professionals demand higher standards and greater sensitivity to public confidence.
Hedquist currently works as a policy advocate for the Oregon Justice Resource Center and has been active in criminal justice reform efforts. Supporters on the council and in the community point to his post-release conduct, employment, and civic engagement as evidence of rehabilitation and a commitment to community improvement.
Beyond the police review board, the council also appointed Hedquist to the Civil Service Commission and the Citizens Advisory Traffic Commission. Following sustained pressure from public safety unions, at least one councilor has called for reconsideration of some of those appointments when the council reconvenes in January.
Brown, a Democrat, commuted 104 sentences during her tenure and granted 130 pardons. Crime has been on the rise in the Evergreen State since 2020.
In 2024, liberal New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristoff, then running for governor of Oregon, noted that the state was a mess, and asked a simple question: why are the places where liberals have greatest control are plagued by homelessness, crime and dysfunction?
It’s pretty clear why.
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