By Adam Bass
masslive.com
WORCESTER, Mass. — Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier says the Worcester Police Department (WPD) is taking measures and making reforms to address the findings of a Department of Justice (DOJ) probe that found officers used excessive force, engaged in discriminatory practices and engaged in illegal sex acts with vulnerable women.
In a communication sent to City Manager Eric D. Batista , Saucier wrote that the department is enacting several measures and reforms to its policies to further address and implement the recommendations the DOJ made in its report.
“The WPD is open to recommendations and takes the measures proposed by the DOJ seriously, even if it may not agree with the DOJ’s conclusions or methodologies,” Saucier wrote. “To that end, WPD is committed to enacting the following remedial measures and reforms, many of which are underway.”
In addition to the reforms, the WPD is working with retired FBI Civil Rights Unit Chief Ron Reed as a supplement to the department’s constitutional law training, according to Saucier.
The training will cover topics including conspiracy, obstruction of justice, theft, sexual assault, use of force and duty to intervene.
On Dec. 9, 2024 , the DOJ released a 41-page report following a two-year investigation into the Worcester Police Department . The report found that officers engaged in acts of excessive force, including using stun guns, deploying police dogs and striking people in the head without justification.
The report also found that multiple women told the department investigators that the department’s police officers engaged in unwanted sexual acts with them during undercover operations, took advantage of them sexually in vulnerable situations and threatened arrest if they did not perform sex acts.
The DOJ has outlined 19 recommendations for the police department, ranging from improvements in the use of force standards, to “a complete prohibition on engaging in sexual contact for law enforcement purposes.”
Following the report’s release, some residents and political leaders in Worcester have called for reforms to take place in the department, while others, including two Worcester police unions, pushed back on the report’s findings.
Use of Force
Addressing the DOJ’s findings about excessive use of force, Saucier said the WPD has revised its K-9 guidelines policy to prohibit the deployment of police dogs at mass gatherings or riot scenes.
“Prior to the directive issued by the chief, K-9s were allowed to be deployed in these circumstances with supervisor approval,” the chief wrote.
The report from the DOJ found that WPD uses police dogs to inflict unnecessary harm that is disproportionate to the level of resistance or threat officers face.
Saucier wrote that separate use-of-force forms that are required for all bites from police dogs are being created. The forms and associated body-worn camera footage will have to be signed off by a captain or designee through the chain of command for final approval by a deputy chief.
Saucier also wrote that supervisors who review use-of-force reports are now required to prepare a separate report detailing how they conducted their analysis of the use of force, such as reviewing body-worn camera footage of videos.
If a subject reports an injury or an injury is reported by an officer, a supervisor is now required to go to the scene of the incident to look for potential evidence, Saucier wrote.
Additionally, a new use of force committee consisting of training division experts in various disciplines has been established. They will review level four or higher use of force incidents through examining all available evidence to identify any training deficiencies that may have led to specific use of force, Saucier wrote.
All training academies have also been extended to include 40 hours of additional crisis intervention team training, starting with the 2025 academy, Saucier wrote.
Undercover operations and sexual assault investigations
Through multiple first- and second-hand accounts from various women interviewed by the DOJ, the report outlines how undercover officers engaged in sexual contact with women involved in the commercial sex trade, subsequently bringing them to different locations afterward and proceeding to arrest them.
With respect to prostitution stings, WPD officers will only be allowed to conduct enforcement without having a subject of an investigation enter a vehicle, according to Saucier. The policy has been sent to the human rights commission for review and comment.
The department is also developing a new policy regarding sexual assault investigations that involves making trauma-informed practices employed by officers involved in sexual investigations into formal policies. The policy has been referred to Worcester’s chief equity officer for review by the human rights commission, Saucier wrote.
Additionally, a segment on trauma informed and victim-centered investigations along with the new policy will be added to in-service training for all officers, according to Saucier.
Addressing disparities
The DOJ’s report found that Worcester police’s enforcement of activities disproportionately affects Black and Hispanic people. The report found that Black and Hispanic residents were more likely to be subject to traffic stops, arrested for minor misdemeanors or face excessive force by police officers.
Saucier wrote that the department is exploring the possibility of creating a dashboard where traffic stop data would be accessible to the public through the city’s website.
He also wrote that the city is moving forward with upgrading its records management system, which will allow for better data management in line with the DOJ’s recommendations.
Saucier said that the new records management system, known as Hexagon RMS, will enable WPD to better track and analyze data related to behavioral-health-related calls and responses from crisis intervention team officers.
The new records management system is expected to be online in the next 12 to 18 months, according to Saucier.
Accountability and supervision
In addition to enacting policy changes to address the activity of officers laid out by the DOJ, Saucier wrote that the department is working to improve in the areas of transparency and accountability.
Saucier wrote that the bureau of professional standards investigation policy will be updated to ensure that all use-of-force complaints are handled by the bureau, which investigates complaints against police officers, according to the city’s website.
Additionally, random audits and review of body-worn camera footage by both the bureau and the command staff will increase from 20 to 32 videos per month.
Other actions taken by Worcester
The city has also announced several other initiatives following the release of the DOJ’s report.
On Dec. 10, 2024 , Worcester City Manager Eric Batista announced the creation of a hotline for members of the public to report misconduct by police officers. This hotline is managed outside of the police department by the investigations division within the Executive Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (EODEI), according to Batista.
Batista said the training division within the EODEI will also lead training sessions, seminars and workshops on behavioral health, implicit bias and additional topics, all of which will align with and inform written policy within the police department.
The city manager also announced his intention to prepare a report for the Worcester City Council to review, laying out the structure of a Civilian Review Board . Members of the community will also participate in the discussion about the new board’s formation.
In a statement to the city council, Batista wrote that following discussions with the Worcester Regional Research Bureau , the bureau will perform an independent review and will create a research report on civilian review boards.
“This report will not mark the end of our communications related to the DOJ investigation,” Batista said. “We will continue to update you as further measures are implemented related to recommendations made by the DOJ.”
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