Fired Salem Police Department Sgt. Jeffrey Keniston quit his job as an Aumsville police officer after less than five months with the agency, according to state records.
Keniston is awaiting a hearing to fight the state’s effort to revoke his law enforcement certifications that stems from an investigation into his alleged actions while working for Salem police.
State investigators say Jeffrey Keniston used his position as a domestic violence officer for personal gain and engaged in a sexual relationship with a domestic violence survivor he was sworn to protect.
His actions reflected an ‘extreme violation of trust,’ according to the state.
Keniston, who has not been charged with a crime, can still fight to keep his certifications.
Police in Salem, Oregon said Sgt. Jeffrey Keniston’s December termination involved misconduct allegations, but wouldn’t tell Discrepancy Report why he was let go.
The nearby Aumsville Police Department recently announced it hired Keniston who’s still under investigation by the state.
The agency told the state that his firing involved an investigation into misconduct allegations, but declined to provide documents to Discrepancy Report explaining why he was let go.
Since May 2021 the police department has charged Discrepancy Report nearly $900 for multiple public records requests seeking all communication records between certain officers and far-right activists.
The agency released records from a period of seven months after a legal challenge but declined to use Verizon’s Privacy Dashboard, a service that allows clients to request a year’s worth of call records at no additional charge.
After charging nearly $500 for a public records request, police released an exchange of text messages between a sergeant and a Proud Boys activist.
The agency then sent Discrepancy Report a police report regarding its handling of a May 1 rally but failed to release call records between the sergeant and the activist that were requested repeatedly.