Justice Department Finds Civil Rights Violations by the Worcester Police Department and City of Worcester, Massachusetts

The Justice Department announced today the findings from its pattern or practice investigation into conduct by the City of Worcester, Massachusetts, and the Worcester Police Department (WPD).

According to the findings, the City of Worcester and WPD engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of rights secured by the U.S. Constitution and federal law.

Specifically, as detailed in the investigative report, the Justice Department finds that:

• WPD uses excessive force, including unjustified uses of tasers, police dogs and strikes to the head. Officers rapidly escalated minor incidents by using more force than necessary, including during encounters with people who have behavioral health disabilities or are in crisis. WPD's use of excessive force violates the Fourth Amendment.
• WPD has allowed certain officers at times to engage in outrageous government conduct and violate the constitutional rights of women suspected of being involved in the commercial sex trade by engaging in sexual contact while undercover as part of official investigations. This violates the 14th Amendment's Due Process Clause.

The department's investigation also describes serious concerns about some credible reports that officers have sexually assaulted women under threat of arrest and engaged in other sexual misconduct; and concerns that WPD lacks adequate policies and practices to respond to and investigate sexual assaults by officers and others. Finally, the department raised concerns that WPD engages in racially discriminatory policing.

Deficiencies in policies, training, supervision, and accountability contribute to the city and WPD's unlawful conduct.

"Our comprehensive investigation revealed that the Worcester Police Department uses excessive force and has allowed undercover police officers to engage in sexual contact with women suspected of being involved in the commercial sex trade," said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "This is the first time the department has issued a pattern or practice finding involving sexual misconduct by officers. We look forward to working with city officials to institute reforms that build on their own preliminary efforts but that will fully bring an end to these unlawful and unconstitutional practices. The Justice Department is committed to standing firm against sexual misconduct in all its forms."

"Excessive force and sexual misconduct at the hands of officers who took an oath to serve and protect deeply diminishes the public's trust in its sworn officers" said U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts. "The actions by certain officers who engaged in this conduct are not a reflection of the many hard working and ethical officers at the WPD who did not engage in such misconduct or the thousands of police officers around the Commonwealth who serve with honor every day. While the findings announced in today's report are serious and sobering, today we start a new chapter. We look forward to working with the City of Worcester and the new leadership of the Worcester Police Department to implement reforms that will prevent these kinds of incidents from reoccurring."

The Justice Department opened this investigation on Nov. 15, 2022, pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12601 (Section 12601), which prohibits law enforcement officers from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. The investigation was conducted by career attorneys and staff in the Civil Rights Division's Special Litigation Section and the Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.

The report acknowledges the changes already made by the City and WPD and identifies additional remedial measures that the department believes are necessary to address its findings. The department is committed to working collaboratively with the City and WPD to address and remedy the harms the investigation identified.

The department will also be seeking input from the Worcester community on remedies to address the investigation's findings. Members of the public may submit recommendations by email at [email protected] or by phone at 617-275-8756.

The Justice Department will hold a webinar at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9, to provide more information about the findings. Members of the public are encouraged to attend. Please email [email protected] to register.

Information about the Civil Rights Division is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Information about the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts is available at www.justice.gov/usao-ma.