DOJ Probe Of Worcester Police May Take Many Years: Past Cases

WORCESTER, MA — The U.S. Department of Justice in November launched a "pattern-or-practice" investigation into the Worcester police department, digging to find possible evidence of unconstitutional policing.

But if other similar investigations are any indication, it might be years before the DOJ releases findings.

The Worcester Regional Research Bureau this week released a report on similar "pattern-or-practice" investigations into police departments across the U.S. There have been 78 such investigations opened since the mid-1990s after a federal law change in 1994. Of those, federal investigators have released findings in 59 cases, according to the report.

According to the WRRB, it has taken 26 months on average for the DOJ to complete "pattern-or-practice" investigations — but that's just the first part of the process.

Following the initial investigation, the DOJ will typically enter into a "consent decree" with a police department, followed by a long period of monitoring by a third party overseer appointed by a federal judge. Reaching a consent decree takes about 15 months on average, according to WRRB's research.

The monitoring period can last for much longer. Seattle police, for example, reached a consent decree in 2013, but the department is still being monitored today because it has yet to reach the terms of the decree satisfactorily.

In Massachusetts, only Springfield police have been subject to a "pattern-or-practice" investigation, and that probe only looked at the department's narcotics division. The investigation took two years, and it took another two years to reach a consent decree.

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District of Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins — who spoke at Worcester's annual MLK Day breakfast with Chief Steven Sargent in attendance — has not named a specific incident that led to the investigation, although Worcester police have been sued for alleged behavior ranging from lying about evidence to using racist remarks.

"Based on information provided to the Justice Department, we find significant justification to investigate whether the Worcester Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of racially discriminatory and gender-biased policing, and uses excessive force," Justice Department Civil Rights Division Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in a November news release.

The WRRB report did not comment on the Worcester investigation itself, and only provided an overview of the federal process in past cases.

"No matter the ultimate outcome, the Department of Justice’s announcement on Nov. 15 is just the beginning of a very long investigatory process in Worcester," the report said.