February 12, 2025

Department of Public Safety

Peace Officer Standards & Training (POST) Program

To Whom It May Concern:

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.

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.

Furthermore, we urge the Missouri Department of Public Safety to maintain a publicly accessible list of individuals who have been deemed ineligible to hold a Peace Officer License in Missouri, similar to the disqualification lists maintained by the Missouri Department of Mental Health and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services:

• Missouri Department of Mental Health Employee Disqualification List:

https://dmh.mo.gov/hr/caregiver-background-screening/employee-disqualification-list

• Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Licensee Search:

https://health.mo.gov/safety/ems/licenseesearch.php

Ensuring transparency in Peace Officer licensure is critical to upholding the integrity of law enforcement agencies across the state.

Sincerely,

Nimrod Chapel, Jr.
President