Former Independence police chief has received $61K since resigning, records show
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Former Independence police chief received roughly $61,000 in post-resignation payments.
- Media and legal experts questioned withholding and urged disclosure.
- City cited Missouri Sunshine Law statutes to withhold resignation terms.
Former Independence Police Department Chief Adam Dustman has been paid roughly $61,000 since his resignation in August 2025, under an agreement city officials say they cannot make public.
Payroll records show that, despite resigning, Dustman has continued to be paid, according to documents obtained by The Star through an open records request.
City officials said those payments were part of the terms of Dustman’s resignation, but the exact terms were not public records under Missouri statutes on closed records.
Mark Johnson, a Kansas City attorney who specializes in media law and the First Amendment, said that he’s not sure why the terms of the resignation would not be public.
“I don’t think that the city has grounds to stand on,” Johnson said with regard to the exemptions cited by Independence officials. “There’s nothing in (the law) that says that that should be closed.”
Dustman resigned unexpectedly on Aug. 15 after taking leave following a work trip to Washington, D.C.
Payroll documents show that from August to late December, Dustman was paid roughly $35,000 in payments that were marked as earnings on the documents. In late December, those payments were marked as severance, and he has been paid nearly $26,000. The total amount of those payments equals $61,397.15, according to payroll records that run from August to early March.
It’s also unclear how much Dustman will be paid in total as part of his resignation agreement. City officials said that the total amount Dustman is expected to be paid depends on several “undetermined factors,” and that a final number could not be provided at this time.
City attorneys said the payments have a defined end date, though that date could change if certain conditions are met.
The Star tried to reach Dustman at his home, but no one answered the door. A note and business card were left, but no calls or emails were received in requests for comment.
Council members Jared Fears and Bridget McCandless declined to comment and said that the situation was a personnel issue and deferred any comments to the city. Other members did not respond to requests for comment.
Transparency in records
Independence officials cited Missouri Revised Statutes Section 610.021 of the state’s Sunshine Law to justify withholding the records.
That law allows public agencies to keep some records private, including legal communications tied to lawsuits, documents related to contracts before they are finalized, and most employee personnel records.
“Subsection 1 covers a broad range of legal actions. Subsection 12 likewise extends well beyond sealed bids.” Madeline Rincon, a spokeswoman for the city of Independence, said. “ I’m not sure our legal department will want to go into much more detail.”
However, media advocates voiced skepticism about withholding the details of the resignation terms from the public.
“I think the mere fact they’re citing subsection one means they need to hand over any kind of settlement agreement that was reached with the chief that would result in a series of payments because that’s written into the statute,” said Dan Curry, an attorney for the Missouri Press Association legal hotline. “It sounds like they might be playing games with what is considered a settlement agreement, but I think it seems like they have a negotiated agreement.”
Gregory Magarian, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis, said that he questioned how the records could be withheld. Magarian said that the situation ultimately speaks to the need for the public to be aware of how tax dollars are being spent.
“Even if you are legally authorized not to disclose the terms of that agreement, you are doing the public a disservice by failing to disclose the terms of the agreement,” Magarian said.
Dustman’s departure
No explanation was given for his resignation by city officials when they announced Dustman was stepping down. However, media reports from the time of his resignation suggested that an internal investigation had been opened into his conduct on the work trip.
Dustman notified members of the Independence Police Department of his plans to step down on Aug. 14 and said he would be transitioning to another position within the city.
“I want to assure you that I did not come to this decision lightly, and it is for sure bittersweet,” Dustman said in the email announcing his departure. “I have so deeply enjoyed my service to IPD and it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as your Chief. As tough as it is to close that chapter, I am excited about what comes next.”
Dustman spent his entire law enforcement career with the Independence Police Department. He was hired in 2008 after graduating from the University of Central Missouri in 2007, and stepped into the role of interim chief in February 2022 before receiving a full-time appointment in August 2022.
Dustman’s tenure included both efforts to modernize the department and multiple lawsuits filed against it, The Star previously reported. Most recently, an 18-year veteran officer with the department filed a lawsuit against the Police Department, alleging retaliation and sex discrimination among leadership.
