Worcester Board Of Health Members Recount Mistreatment By Police

WORCESTER, MA — The Worcester Board of Health on Thursday met in emergency session to discuss proposals to address police brutality and systemic racism in local policing — and two Black members of the board recounted incidents where they experienced mistreatment by officers.

The Thursday meeting was called by member David Fort, who presented 12 recommendations for Worcester police to implement to address issues around race and police. During a wide-ranging statement about racism and police violence, Fort said three generations of his family have experienced ill-treatment by police.

Fort recalled an incident when he was held at gunpoint by an officer at age 14 at East Park while his white friends watched. Last year, an officer told Fort to "get the hell out of here" when Fort told an officer about a driver with Confederate flags rear-ending other drivers near Webster Square.

Fort's father has experienced racial profiling, he said, and so have his nephews and cousins. Reporting the incidents don't usually help, he said.

"Nothing, most likely, will happen," he said. "You walk in the shoes of a Black person, a brown person, you'll have a different perspective."

Member Chareese Allen also said that she's had frightening experiences with police, describing how an officer with his hand on his gun approached her during a traffic stop.

"I was terrified," she said.

Some members of Worcester's health department sought to temper Fort's recommendations. Medical Director Michael Hirsh said the language Fort used in his recommendations was "inflammatory," while also commending Worcester police for work in the community — efforts like buying back guns and sponsoring athletic events.

"We're not always, I think, in this environment, we're not hearing all segments of the population weigh in on how much of a public health priority police brutality is," Hirsh said.

Board Chair Edith Claros called Fort's ideas potentially "divisive," and said they could harm public health efforts that have been made to address racism. Claros had also objected to the board holding a meeting on Fort's recommendations, he said.

Here's a breakdown of the 12 recommendations Fort made for Worcester police:

1. Acknowledge that racism and bigotry are pervasive in institutions, including in the Worcester police department
2. Adopt Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus POST legislation recommendations
3. Perform background checks on officers, including into social media accounts, to find officers who hold bigoted views
4. If the background checks find problem officers, make sure they're retrained and educated about racism, or dismiss them from the department
5. Have transparent investigations of police officers accused of misconduct and brutality
6. Establish a community police misconduct review board staffed by Worcester residents; the board must include people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, youth, low-income people, the homeless, and people who have experienced mental health issues and addiction
7. Have police attend anti-racism workshops
8. Have officers develop nonviolent relationships with communities of color in Worcester
9. Adopt the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus recommendation on banning chokeholds and other types of potentially deadly force
10. Develop an advisory board to administer exams to police officers, and establish an office of diversity
11. Deescalation training for Worcester police
12. Provide the Board of Health with updates on implementing the recommendations — including by the July 13 meeting — and begin publishing annual reports on how police are reducing racist activity

Ultimately, the board voted to let Claros and Fort meet with Worcester police about Fort's recommendations. The results of that meeting will be reported when the Board of Health meets on July 13.