A year after scathing report on use of force, sex acts, Worcester police have new policies
A year after the Department of Justice released a scathing report into how Worcester police officers engaged in unwanted sexual acts with vulnerable women, officers are now engaging less frequently with women in the sex trade, according to Audra Doody, the co-executive director for the The Safe Exit Initiative .
When the DOJ report was first released, it also went into detail about how officers engaged in excessive use of force and disproportionately targeted Black and Hispanic people. The Safe Exit Initiative, an organization in Worcester supporting individuals involved in the sex trade, wrote that they were "shocked but not surprised" by the findings.
Now, Doody says officers direct them to the Safe Exit Initiatives programs, such as the it s community-based resource center and day shelter, The Harbor.
Sometimes, the women that she works with tell her that officers don't acknowledge them at all.
"I guess (that) can be helpful but also harmful," Doody said of the officers. "Some of the women have said things like they wish that the police would view them as human beings and not ignore them."
Department spokesperson Joseph Cersosimo told MassLive that revised policies for police dog usage, sexual assault investigations and prostitution stings were implemented by the department in October and November.
The revised policies were first announced by Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier in March .
In a statement provided to MassLive, Saucier said the policies were not implemented immediately after the report's release and needed to be fully vetted before being put into place.
The policies were reviewed and vetted by the Executive Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the WPD also incorporated feedback from the Human Rights Commission, according to Saucier.
"Each updated version then went through the same review cycle until I, as Chief, was confident in the final content," Saucier said. "As a result, we needed to delay posting the policies to ensure they were fully vetted. Additionally, every officer was required to read and sign off, confirming their understanding of each policy."
Limitations on undercover stings
The WPD implemented a policy on Oct. 8 that limits officers in undercover stings to using the "common nightwalker" statute under Massachusetts General Law without having a suspect enter a vehicle, according to a memo from Cersosimo.
Multiple first- and second-hand accounts from numerous women interviewed by the DOJ outlined how undercover officers engaged in sexual contact with women involved in the commercial sex trade. Police then brought them to different locations and arrested them afterwards.
The report details how undercover officers had sex with women in their cars and states that "WPD officers have sexually assaulted women under threat of arrest, demanded sex acts in exchange for police assistance, in violation of their constitutional rights, and engaged in other concerning sexual encounters."
The policy change limits officers as the nightwalker statute does not require suspects to enter vehicles, as they did in the past.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court defines a common nightwalker as someone who is "abroad at night and solicits others to engage in illicit sexual acts."
Under state law , common nightwalkers can be punished with up to six months in jail, a $200 fine, or both.
Limitation on police dog usage
On Nov. 5, a revised police dog usage policy went into effect, according to Cersosimo. The new policy prohibits the deployment of dogs at mass gatherings, riot scenes and other 'high-risk crowd control situations,' a memo from Cersosimo reads.
The report from the DOJ found that WPD uses police dogs to inflict unnecessary harm that is disproportionate to the level of resistance or threat officers face.
The report cites an example of when WPD was chasing a man after he pushed a security guard and and ran across the street away from a crowd and he ended up on the ground punching and kicking, according to officer reports. As two officers tried to handcuff the man, a canine officer ordered his dog to bite said man, the report reads.
"Prior to the directive issued by the chief, K-9s were allowed to be deployed in these circumstances with supervisor approval," the chief previously wrote.
Formalized practices, new selection and incoming report systems
Trauma-informed practices — practices aimed at recognizing the impact of trauma — have been formalized for sexual assault investigations, according to the memo. Sexual assault cases also now require formal documentation from the District Attorney's office before they are closed by police. These policies went into effect on Oct. 7, according to Cersosimo.
Additionally, any officers chosen for specialized units will be directly chosen by the chief based "on referrals, resumes, complaint history, and sick time usage," a memo from Cersosimo reads. The specialized unit policy went into effect on Oct. 1, according to Cersosimo.
The WPD is working with software company PowerDMS to create a system that tracks internal affairs complaints and use-of-force reports ,according to Cersosimo. Another system that tracks and reports officer actions is also being created.
Cersosimo did not provide a timeline as to when the modules will be online.
Calls for a civilian review board
The DOJ's report drew outrage from those critical of the police, with several calling for reforms and additional oversight of the department. The report also drew the anger among those supportive of the police, with two police unions calling the report's findings " inaccurate ."
Activists, some city councilors and even the Worcester Regional Research Bureau (WRRB) have endorsed the creation of a civilian review board, with the WRRB recommending the board have the ability to investigate and review cases, be given the power to subpoena documents and have access to police data systems, along with other recommendations to conduct oversight.
City Manager Eric D. Batista said he would provide the city council a report about the creation of such a board. Current and incoming members of the city council, however, have expressed reservations about establishing a civilian oversight board.
"I maintain that the state's POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) program has worked well, in addition to our own BOPS (Bureau of Professional Standards), Diversity Equity and Inclusion Department Human Rights Commission, random body camera audits, policy review committee and accreditation process providing transparency in a number of different ways," Councilor-at-Large Kathleen Toomey previously told MassLive. "I have not supported a local civilian review board in the past and do not think it is necessary with all that has been enacted over the past few years."
"We just spent a ton of money for body cameras," District 1 Councilor-elect Tony Economou previously said. "I don't know why you would need yet another board to further criticize or critique your actions."
One year later Doody said there has been steady progress from the police in restoring trust but there is still more to do.
"I feel as though there's always going to be a distrust in law enforcement but I feel like they're trying to make an effort to know the community," Doody said. "I feel like we're moving in the right direction."
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