WORCESTER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division holds a community meeting on Wednesday, December 18, at 6 PM at the YWCA at 1 Salem Sq. in Worcester.
The meeting will discuss the findings and remedies in the report on the pattern or practice investigation of the Worcester Police Department (WPD).
he U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released a report on Monday, December 6, covering the findings of the investigation into the Worcester Police Department (WPD) announced on November 15, 2022.
The over two-year long investigation determined that “DOJ has reasonable cause to believe that WPD and the City engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law.”
The executive summary of the report presents two main findings:
- “WPD uses excessive force that violates the Fourth Amendment. Officers unreasonably deploy Tasers, use police dogs, and strike people in the head. Officers rapidly escalate minor incidents by using more force than necessary, including during encounters with people who have behavioral health disabilities or are in crisis.”
- “WPD engages in outrageous government conduct that violates the constitutional rights of women suspected of being involved in the commercial sex trade by engaging in sexual contact during undercover operations. This violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process clause.”
Find coverage of the findings of the DOJ report related to excessive force, or coverage of its findings related to sexual misconduct
