Crime & Safety

Worcester Cop Arrested After Taking Pay For Fake Off-Duty Work

The officer has been charged with five counts of felony larceny, among other charges, police said.

Worcester police officer Colby Turner was arrested and charged on Monday after he was accused of falsifying off-duty assignments.
Worcester police officer Colby Turner was arrested and charged on Monday after he was accused of falsifying off-duty assignments. (Neal McNamara/Patch)

WORCESTER, MA — A Worcester police officer has been arrested and charged over accusations he falsified off-duty assignments that he never actually worked, according to the Worcester Police Department.

Colby Turner, a police officer in Worcester since 2017, was arrested Monday on five felony counts of larceny over $1,200 and a misdemeanor charge of submitting false claims for reimbursement, the department said in a news release. Turner was placed on administrative leave ahead of an arraignment.

"At this time, we believe this is an isolated incident. We will review our policies and procedures related to off-duty assignments, and will be conducting an internal and external audit of the system," the police department news release said.

Turner was one of the highest paid Worcester city employees in recent years, according to department records. He earned $159,309 in 2021, $169,377 in 2020, $173,977 in 2019.