Tensions were high inside Worcester City Hall on Tuesday night as the City Council hosted a hearing focused on a recent Justice Department report that detailed allegations of misconduct at the police department after a two-year investigation.
As people on both sides of the issue used their time at the mic to react to the report, councilors were forced to pause several times to ask them to respect each other.
In a 41-page report released last week, the DOJ accused Worcester police officers of having sexual contact with women believed to be involved in the commercial sex trade. It also alleged the department has used excessive force and has discriminated based on the race of the people officers encounter.
One resident used her time at the podium to call for consequences, saying, “It doesn’t matter whether they’re police or not, they should be investigated and they should be criminalized just like anybody else who commits that same crime.”
Another speaker said, “If DOJ had credible information regarding these instances, why isn’t anyone investigated or arrested? Why are the alleged officers still on the job today? Where is the justice for the alleged victims?”
With the crowd spilling out into the hallway, councilors heard from residents, police officers, and individuals representing Project Priceless, which supports women and girls who have survived the sex trade.
Those standing in solidarity with the police called the report unfair, biased, and inaccurate and stressed that it erodes public trust in the department.
“It has done irreparable damage to the members of the Worcester Police Department and it has done so without evidence or witnesses to support their claims, it makes us look like criminals to the public and damaged our reputation. And as everyone knows it’s very hard to build up a reputation but it’s very easy to lose it,” one man said.
Those who believe the allegations say the concerns should serve as a catalyst for major change and accountability.
One speaker said, “A culture of harm done, this is about power abused … this cannot stand.”
Multiple people in the meeting said residents are watching to see what the city will do next.
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
