SANDY — A report released Thursday detailed the "awkward" and unwanted physical affection toward employees that led to the termination of Sandy's police chief this week, but confirmed the chief's frequent hugs did not amount to assault.

The hugs were among other touching and comments from former Chief Kevin Thacker that continued even after he agreed in a human resources proceeding that they would stop, according to the outside report released by the city.

"No one has made a formal complaint, but the women who were interviewed stated that it is not welcome to them. Male officers find the conduct to be unprofessional and embarrassing," states the report compiled by Salt Lake City law firm Ray Quinney & Nebeker.

"I found no evidence that Chief Thacker has committed any actual sexual assault, nor any evidence of overtly sexual contact between him and any female employee, whether consensual, or not," the report continued.

The Sandy chief of four years was fired Tuesday by Mayor Kurt Bradburn following a three-week investigation that ultimately found his behavior "is unprofessional and inappropriate, and that it leads to an inappropriate atmosphere in the police department."

In a Thursday news conference, Bradburn, a human resources attorney, said "The work environments that these behaviors create are not healthy. Just because you feel like its OK to touch someone in certain way because that's your mode of expressing feelings, it doesn't mean that somebody else should have to put up with that."

The firm wrote that Thacker "has minimized his actions in his own mind, and was not completely forthcoming." It concluded there may have been "an element of coverup," but did not elaborate.

It is unclear from the heavily redacted review how far back the allegations date, though the report refers to complaints "several years ago." Attorney Scott Hagen, who prepared the report, appeared to have talked to at least eight employees, including Thacker. He noted in the report that the city's human resources director also "participated in the interviews."

The review found the chief's "inappropriate physical contact with female employees" should have stopped in two specific cases, including one that led to a human resources investigation. As part of its resolution, Thacker agreed to stop hugging and "should have actually ended the practice," the report states.

Thacker declined an interview Thursday evening. In an email sent prior to the report's release, he said he disagrees with his firing but understands the mayor has the discretion to terminate him.

He reiterated that he has long given hugs to employees and their families as a show of comfort and support and "It has never been my intent to offend or be inappropriate in any way."

Related story:

Sandy police chief fired after investigation of misconduct

Sandy Police Chief Kevin Thacker was fired Tuesday after an investigation into multiple reports of “inappropriate and unprofessional behavior” within the police department, Sandy Mayor Kurt Bradburn said.

Among the incidents detailed in the review:

• A woman said Thacker hugged her inappropriately made comments about her sweater that made her feel he was talking about her chest. He at time hugged her for too long and once "ran his hand down her side and touched the side of her breast" during an embrace.

• Another female employee said his hugs and other instances of touching also made her uncomfortable, noting "he touched or patted her thigh on at least two occasions in his car."

• A different worker said he "put his hand on her upper thigh, tapped it and rubbed it a little awkwardly, and then removed his hand," telling her, "Let's keep this between ourselves. It'll be our secret," the report states. The same woman described two similar, subsequent encounters. In hugs, he "runs his hand down the curve of her side, and sometimes kind of feels the side of her breast through the side of her bra."

• A female employee described receiving similar embraces and said, "It's not welcome, but she feels like he has done a lot for her and she doesn't mind doing this." The employee said he once encouraged her to unzip her jacket so he could see if she was wearing her uniform shirt, but she refused. She said she "'plays the game' to get promoted and protect her job."

• Another female worker said he is a "hugger" but his hugs were not inappropriate.

The review notes that witnesses were reluctant, teary and emotional and felt the investigation could make things worse for them. One woman said she felt her participation was disloyal because she had previously accepted Thacker's apology.

Thacker told a representative of the law firm he believed his hugs are proper and innocent, and "denies that he ever hugs in the way described by female witnesses," according to the report. He may have touched a woman "briefly on the leg, but as a reassurance, not in a sexual manner" and "denies touching cheeks when hugging female officers or employees," the review states. He acknowledged a prior complaint but said it was unfounded.

In a letter to department colleagues made public on Facebook Wednesday, Thacker said that, "Looking back, I made a lot of mistakes as I learned and tried to conform to a position I never sought."

The cost of the report is not yet public. Bradburn said attorneys billed the city about $40 per hour but he didn't know exactly how much time they spent on the review.

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