(Jefferson City, MO) - MO NAACP filed a complaint today asking the POST Commission to review the social media presence of former Clay County Detective Tom Butkovich. The complaint is in response to the February social media posts from Butkovich and the concern that he will find employment with another law enforcement agency. The Clay County Sheriff's Department fired Butkovich after an investigation into his social media posts. Nothing in Missouri law or police procedure prevents him from finding employment with another law enforcement agency. Revoking his POST Commission; however, would prevent employment as law enforcement in Missouri. The current POST Commission revocation process requires a complaint to be filed before any action is taken. This move by the MO NAACP will start the investigation process and may result in the removal of a person unable to fairly apply the law from our police forces.

Compliant Filed Against the License of Det. Tom Butkovich (Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri)

The NAACP of the State of Missouri has reviewed the social media comments attributed to Clay County Sheriff’s Office Detective Tom Butkovich. Given the gravity of the situation, we believe the appropriate action is for the Department of Public Safety to revoke Mr. Butkovich’s Peace Officer license in the State of Missouri. We appreciate the Clay County Sheriff's quick action on the matter, but there is nothing preventing Mr. Butkovich from simply moving to another agency and continuing to act under the color of law while holding discriminatory and dangerous views.

Law enforcement officers must uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, particularly when serving diverse communities. Mr. Butkovich’s alleged online statement, “Time to put the ‘panic’ back in Hispanic,” in response to a federal immigration enforcement action, is not only offensive but fundamentally undermines public trust in law enforcement. His statement promotes racial hostility and is in direct conflict with the duty of peace officers to serve and protect all communities equitably. A person who holds these views and expresses them publicly while carrying the authority of law enforcement cannot be trusted to administer justice impartially. His years of experience and past training have evidently failed to instill the professionalism and judgment required for his role, making additional training an insufficient remedy. The appropriate course of action is for the Department of Public Safety to revoke his Peace Officer license to prevent further harm and erosion of public trust.