'Long Time Coming': DOJ To Investigate Worcester Police Department

WORCESTER, MA — A U.S. Department of Justice probe into the Worcester Police Department announced Tuesday sent shockwaves across the city, with some seeing the news as comeuppance for a department that has been sued numerous times in recent years over excessive force and other policing issues.

Federal officials did not specify a single incident that led to the investigation but said the investigation will focus on a pattern of race and gender-biased policing, among other issues.

“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 news release.

The Justice Department publicly announced the probe hours before a potentially pivotal city council meeting, where councilors were set to hire acting City Manager Eric Batista as the permanent city manager. Batista, Chief Steven Sargent. Mayor Joseph Petty Jr. issued a joint statement hours after the DOJ announcement.

"The Worcester Police Department will continue to work with the state and federal partners on public safety initiatives to protect and serve our citizens," the statement said. "The city and Worcester Police Department collectively strive to deliver the highest quality of municipal services to residents and will continue to do so in a transparent and professional manner as the investigation takes its course."

Justice Department investigations of police departments often end in consent decrees — settlements that require police departments to adhere to a set of policy changes. A specially appointed monitor typically oversees consent decrees through the federal courts.

In Massachusetts, the Justice Department most recently entered into a consent decree with Springfield police following a civil rights investigation that began in 2018 and focused on a narcotics unit. Much larger departments in Baltimore, Seattle and Los Angeles have all entered into consent decrees with the Justice Department after high-profile incidents. A DOJ investigation into Minneapolis police announced in 2021 is still ongoing following the murder of George Floyd.

Worcester police have been accused of wrongdoing in close to 30 lawsuits dating back more than a decade, leading to about $4 million in settlement payouts funded by taxpayers.

The department has also faced scrutiny over incidents outside of court. This month, bodycam video surfaced showing a Worcester officer chasing and shocking a Cornerstone Bible Baptist Church pastor with a Taser. In July 2020, amid nationwide protests over police violence, a bystander filmed a Worcester officer apparently hitting a man strapped to a gurney — an incident that led to an apparent police sick-out in 2021 later after the officer was disciplined.

Issues around transparency have also plagued the department. The city was ordered by Worcester Superior Court Judge Janet Kenton-Walker to pay a $5,000 fine for withholding police misconduct records under the state's public records law. The department also signed up to buy a new computer-assisted crime tool last year without telling the public. That tool, ShotSpotter Connect, has been directing police on patrols since 2021, but police have been unable to say where.

Community activists in Worcester — including the Worcester NAACP and city councilors Khrystian King and Sarai Rivera — for years have been pushing for a civilian oversight board. Police and city leaders have declined to go that route, although cities like Boston, Cambridge and Springfield have civilian oversight boards.

Reacting to the DOJ probe Tuesday, King said he's looking forward to seeing the results of increased scrutiny of the department.

"I'm sure it'll identify good practices, and areas where we need to improve," he said of the DOJ inquiry.

Former Worcester Board of Health member David Fort said the DOJ probe is a "long time coming," and has also pushed for civilian oversight. Fort publicly battled with Sargent after the chief insisted that there was no racism inside the police department.

"This is a public health issue, this is a public safety issue," Fort said of Worcester police oversight. "People have no trust. It's [the department's] own fault because they won't be transparent."
Since leaving the health board last year, Fort said he's continued to push Sargent, Batista and former city manager Ed Augustus for a civilian oversight board, but has only felt "ardent resistance" to the idea. Fort says city leaders told him the state's new Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission is sufficient for Worcester.

"It should've never gotten to this point," Fort said.

Worcester police also exert a cultural influence in the city. A Facebook page aligned with the Worcester International Brotherhood of Police Local 504 union has been a rallying place for pro-police residents, and a source of controversy. In the 2021 municipal election, city council candidate Richard Cipro — an IBPO page cofounder and police sergeant — had to explain his role in administering the page after a member posted an image of Petty with a Hitler mustache. Cipro did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday about the DOJ probe.

The city council has a public safety committee that can oversee the police department, and was key in hearings earlier this year about allowing police to purchase a drone. The chair of that committee, At-Large Councilor Kate Toomey, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the DOJ inquiry.

"The purpose of this civil investigation is to determine — through objective and thorough examination — whether or not there is an overall pattern or practice of conduct that violates the Constitution or federal law. This is the beginning of the process," Rollins said. "We will go where the facts take us. You will hear from me at the end of the investigation, irrespective of the outcome."

The DOJ is also seeking tips from local residents about possible civil rights violations. Members of the public can contact the U.S. Attorney via email at community.wpd@usdoj.gov or by phone at (888) 221-6023.

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