WORCESTER, Mass. — The Department of Justice’s bombshell report alleging “outrageous government conduct” in the city’s police department was not on Tuesday night’s city council agenda.
But the report was addressed at the end of the hearing, hours after the city manager outlined a number of actions already being taken, including setting up a hotline for members of the public to report any alleged misconduct by a police officer.
The report found that the Worcester Police Department allowed officers to engage in sexual contact with women suspected of being involved in the commercial sex trade and to use excessive force.
“We want the DOJ to give us who has done these egregious things,” said District 2 City Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson. “These folks need to be prosecuted if this is in fact what happened.”
In a similar statement, City Manager Eric Batista said, “It is unfathomable to me that any officer of the law could or would act in such an unlawful, egregious, and immoral manner.”
Worcester Mayor Joseph M. Petty also spoke out after the scathing report was released Monday.
In a statement issued Tuesday morning, Petty said he’s taking the report’s findings “very seriously,” although he’s also questioning some of the statements made by the feds.
“I take the report’s findings very seriously. While I question some of the statements made, I can only fully process the report with the investigative materials from the DOJ. I intend to request the City Manager report back with recommendations for next steps within the next 30 days as they receive and process the investigative reports,” Petty explained. “I want to ensure that this process shows compassion and empathy to those who have been impacted, including members of the BIPOC community and survivors of the commercial sex trade.”
The International Brotherhood of Police Officers Local 504 is also questioning some of the feds claims, saying, “This summarized report creates a ‘dark cloud’ over the Worcester Police Department, with the potential to destroy all the positive strides we have made with the community at large.”
The Department of Justice opened the investigation on Nov. 15, 2022, with U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division revealing “serious and sobering” findings in a 41-page report that concluded there’s “reasonable cause to believe” Worcester police and the city “engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law.”
In addition to worries about sexual contact with women in the sex trade, the DOJ’s findings also expressed serious concerns about credible reports that officers have sexually assaulted women under threat of arrest.
“DOJ has reasonable cause to believe that WPD has engaged in a pattern or practice of outrageous government conduct during undercover operations by allowing officers to engage in sexual contact with women suspected of being involved in the commercial sex trade,” the report stated. “This sexual contact served no legitimate law enforcement purpose. Despite being on notice of these issues, WPD failed to establish the policies, training, and supervision needed to ensure officers are not violating women’s constitutional rights, instead allowing a problematic culture and unlawful conduct to continue unchecked.”
The report also found that the police department used excessive force, including the unjustified use of tasers, police dogs, and strikes to the head. Additionally, the findings raised concerns that the department engages in racially discriminatory policing.
The report also stated that officers rapidly escalated minor incidents by using more force than necessary, including during encounters with people who have behavioral health disabilities or are in crisis.
Petty added that he has “faith” in Interim Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier and his ability to work with the community moving forward, noting that the department has already made changes based on recommendations from a voluntary racial equity audit.
“I believe we will only continue to work toward following the recommendations advised by our racial equity audit consultant by ensuring our police department operates justly,” Petty stated. “I want to recognize the many dedicated, hardworking members of the Worcester Police Department for their ongoing commitment to serve the community – I appreciate their service to our city.”
The report also made a series of recommendations from improving training on the use of force, requiring officers to report misconduct, mandating the use of body-worn cameras, and requiring supervisors to review footage to monitor officer performance.
Worcester City Manager Eric Batista expects to release a statement in the coming days.
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