Sikeston DPS officer resigns over potentially criminal violations

SIKESTON, Mo. — After being profiled on social media, a Sikeston Department of Public Safety officer has resigned after allegations of conduct unbecoming an officer came to light.

According to a post from Sikeston DPS Chief James McMillen on Tuesday evening, an officer with DPS was recently profiled on the DPS Facebook page. After the profile was public, DPS was told the officer, who had been with DPS for a few months, had engaged in conduct unbecoming an officer.

McMillen said the officer was immediately placed on administrative leave so an internal investigation could be conducted.

On Tuesday, more allegations against the officer came in from other individuals. The allegations have not been investigated, but could be criminal if proven, according to McMillen's release.

The officer resigned from his position with the city Tuesday afternoon.

"Sikeston DPS is continuing the internal investigation and will assist the appropriate investigating authority," McMillen said in the release. "I also want to encourage anyone else with information to come forward."

McMillen added the DPS has strict hiring procedures, extensive background checks, and a thorough psychological examination.

"Even still, we sometimes miss those that should be excluded," McMillen said. "Because none of these previous allegations were ever reported, there is no record of the incident to be found during a background check. Rest assured, once this information is known to me, I take the steps to ensure that it is handled appropriately."

McMillen said he hopes the release of information is to show transparency.

"These types of incidents are never easy, but we do the right thing and move forward," McMillen said. "This was very public in the manner in which it was reported to us and I felt obligated to release this statement."