Fired Sandy chief says he's a 'hugger' in email to department


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SANDY — Kevin Thacker says he's a "hugger," and if he offended any of his employees, "I’m sorry, it was never my intent," he wrote in an email to his former department.

The former Sandy police chief was fired Tuesday by Sandy Mayor Kurt Bradburn over "concerns of inappropriate and unprofessional behavior" following a three-week investigation.

A day after the mayor held a press conference announcing the chief's termination, Thacker's family posted on Facebook a letter he penned to his department.

In the letter, Thacker, who started with the Explorer program with the department when he was 17 and was hired as a full-time officer in 1983, said it was never his goal to become chief in 2014. But he accepted the job "because it was a position where I felt I could truly make a difference for our employees.

"After nearly four years, my time is up. Not the way I wanted to go out but sometimes we don’t get to choose our fate, especially as an appointed employee," Thacker continued.

The former chief told the department that he is grateful for the opportunity to lead them, and that one of his primary goals was to "make sure each of you, no matter where you served in our department, felt cared for. I thought if I took better care of you, then you, in turn, would take better care of the community."

But Thacker also conceded, "Looking back, I made a lot of mistakes as I learned and tried to conform to a position I never sought. As you all know, I’m a 'hugger,' I always have been. If I offended any of you, I’m sorry, it was never my intent."

On Tuesday, Bradburn said Thacker had been cautioned about similar behavior in the past, and that his behavior led to a "negative working environment." A law firm was hired to investigate Thacker's conduct and it issued a report.

"Because the report found that this conduct had not stopped, I made the decision to terminate his employment with Sandy City effective immediately," the mayor said, calling it the right decision for the department and residents. "By swiftly dealing with this issue, I hope we have upheld public trust and sent the message this behavior will not be tolerated in my administration."

On Wednesday, Thacker said he disagrees with the mayor's assessment of a "negative working environment."

"I feel we made tremendous progress and are better now than we were four years ago. I hope you feel the same. You are all very dear to me," he wrote to his former co-workers. "You are amazing people who hold a very special place in my heart. You work for a wonderful city, one I proudly served for over half my life. I’m not sure what the future holds for me, but I pray yours will be bright. It is not the chief or administration that make a police department great, it is the people who serve, and you are the best of the best."

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Many people posted messages of support on Facebook to Thacker, including his son, Matty Thacker, who reposted his father's letter that he sent to the department.

"I love him, I support him, I will vouch for his integrity and goodness until my last breath, and he's still No. 1 in my book," his son wrote.

One woman replied, "Your dad is a good man. When he first met me, he came right up and hugged me and we talked for a while. He honestly cares about people, his job and making a difference."

"In the interactions I've had with your family and your father, I've seen no evidence of anything other than a good and honorable man. Your family is in our thoughts and you have our support. Love you guys!" another man wrote.

"I worked with your dad at Sandy City for 25 years. He is one of the most kindest and decent persons I have ever met. Please give him our love (and a hug) and thank him for us for the many years of service to his community," wrote another.

"Kevin Thacker is an incredible human being," another woman posted. "He is the kind of chief that took the time to get to know his employees on a personal level. …

"My absolute favorite thing about Kevin though are his hugs," she continued. "Kevin is a hugger, which I recognize isn't for everyone. That being said, law enforcement is a tough world. The officers and their families go through very tough things and there is nothing more comforting in the whole world than a Kevin hug. Kevin's hugs don't come from a place of 'inappropriateness.' They come from a place of love and care and my heart has needed every single hug he's given me. Kevin's hugs are the epitome of 'dad hugs.' That's how they should be labeled. That's how they should be perceived."

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Pat Reavy is a longtime police and courts reporter. He joined the KSL.com team in 2021, after many years of reporting at the Deseret News and KSL NewsRadio before that.

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