Salem Police Demote Captain For 'Wildly Inappropriate' Tweet

SALEM, MA — The Salem Police Department demoted a captain who used the department's Twitter account to post what Chief Mary Butler called a "wildly inappropriate" message criticizing Black Lives Matter protesters.

The two-rank demotion, which the department said was its first in recent history, means a 20 percent pay cut for Kate Stephens. The demotion means she is also no longer the department's executive officer and will not have access to Salem police social media accounts.

"Sergeant Stephens' actions were unacceptable, and she has acknowledged that," Butler said. "However, that alone is not sufficient. Therefore, she agreed to the demotion, and last chance provision. As police officers, we are — rightly — held to a higher standard of conduct. Sergeant Stephens’ words undermined confidence in not just her, but in the entire department."

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Stephens, 52, of Reading, has been on paid administrative leave since June 1 after she posted a message on the department's Twitter account. The message, which has since been deleted, targeted Black Lives Matter protesters, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker. It read "@martywalsh so you issued a permit for 10 of thousands of people to protest but I can't go to a restaurant? You are ridiculous. You and Too Tall Deval are killing this state."

Stephens wrote an apology that accompanied the news release announcing her demotion: "I have accepted the discipline imposed by the Chief of Police and take full responsibility for the unintended consequences of my mistake ... I am mortified that a mistake of the head and not my heart cast a shadow on our Department."

Stephens, who said the message would have been inappropriate "even on my personal Twitter account" said she recognized her mistake almost immediately after posting the message. She quickly deleted the post and contacted Butler to tell her what she had done.

"I am so sorry for this mistake. My tweet, intended for my personal Twitter was an attempt to vent my frustration about the Covid-19 restrictions," she said. "Even on my personal Twitter account this message would have been inappropriate. Upon realizing my error, I removed the tweet and notified the Chief. I did not intend to denigrate the protesters."

Earlier this month, hundreds of people gathered outside the Salem police station calling for the removal of Stephens, a 24-year veteran of the force. Stephens had no prior incidents on her record, Salem police said in a news release.

"We are pleased that an agreement could be reached that would enable Kate Stephens to maintain employment with the Salem Police, as in her 24-year career she has done a lot of positive things for both the Department and the community," Lt. David M. Tucker, president of the union that represents Salem police officers, said. "We acknowledge the tweet diminished those in our community who were voicing the need for change and we are committed to ensuring all have that right without interference."

The full text of Stephens's apology is below:

I would like to apologize to the community.

I absolutely believe and will defend everyone’s right to peacefully protest and exercise their First Amendment rights. I am so sorry for this mistake. My tweet, intended for my personal Twitter was an attempt to vent my frustration about the Covid-19 restrictions. Even on my personal Twitter account this message would have been inappropriate. Upon realizing my error, I removed the tweet and notified the Chief. I did not intend to denigrate the protesters.

I have accepted the discipline imposed by the Chief of Police and take full responsibility for the unintended consequences of my mistake.

In addition, I would like to apologize to the men and women of the Salem Police Department, and Chief Butler. I would never intentionally bring negative attention to you and the commitment you have made to serve our City. I am mortified that a mistake of the head and not my heart cast a shadow on our Department.

I am truly honored to work in Salem and have a strong commitment to our community and hope that this mistake will not affect the confidence that our residents and visitors have in our agency. I look forward to return to work cooperatively and continuing to work hard every day to serve the citizens of Salem with a positive attitude. It is my hope that I will be able to continue to help foster positive community partnerships and that I will be able to help move the Department forward in the wake of this disruption.

Finally, I would like to thank my family, friends, co-workers and even strangers for their support, kind words and continued faith.

Kate Stephens

Dave Copeland covers Salem and other North Shore communities for Patch. He can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).