Lane County has a new sheriff. Carl Wilkerson, a 30-year veteran with the Lane County Sheriff’s Department, was sworn in Wednesday.
Wilkerson is from Creswell and started his career as a Marine cadet. He’s also worked in corrections, as a traffic officer, a detective and most recently as chief deputy, the second highest rank at the Sheriff’s Office.
On Wednesday, Lane County Commissioners unanimously appointed him to the top job. Wilkerson thanked his family, the community and the deputies he’s spent decades serving alongside.
“They’re pretty amazing people and I could not be more proud of the men and women who make up this office,” he said. “Thank you for allowing me this opportunity.”
Three people applied to be sheriff, but Wilkerson was the only one that met the state and local requirements, including being a resident of Lane County for two years and having four years of law enforcement experience.
During his interview with county commissioners Wednesday, Wilkerson took the opportunity to raise concerns about resources at the sheriff’s department. Lane County is in the midst of a budget crisis and will need to eliminate 80 jobs, including some public safety-related positions.
Wilkerson said the Sheriff’s Office had been understaffed for years and had recently lost several deputies to other law enforcement agencies where individual officers have smaller workloads and make more money.
“The sheriff’s office is just entirely too lean,” Wilkerson said. “We have cut the fat, and we are cutting muscle and we are cutting tendon. People do what they can to serve the citizens of this community as best they can with the resources they have.”
He also addressed questions about Oregon’s Sanctuary Promise Act, which bans local law enforcement from participating in immigration enforcement, and the jail’s handling of transgender inmates. Community members have asked the county commissioners for weeks to publicly question any sheriff candidates about their stance on those issues.
Wilkerson said immigration authorities have already asked the Lane County Sheriff’s Office for help eight times this year and they declined every request. He said he also planned to work with the county’s legal team to determine how the sheriff’s office can better accommodate transgender people booked into jail.
“It’s my job if I’m appointed sheriff today to make sure our organization serves the people and enforces the laws in an unbiased, empathetic and compassionate manner and I plan to continue to do so,” Wilkerson said.
According to the county, Wilkerson has a bachelor’s degree from Bushnell University, and the FBI National Academy. He also attended the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association Command College, the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association Sheriff’s Institute.
Outside of law enforcement, he is a wrestling coach and is married to a member of the Creswell School Board. He said two of his children are also law enforcement officers.
Wilkerson will serve as sheriff through the end of 2026. He will have the option to run for a four-year term in the 2026 election.
