WORCESTER—Complaints about overzealous constables, concerns about the performance of the ballpark commission, and questions about the implications of crime statistics and police use of overtime were front and center at Tuesday’s meeting of the Worcester City Council.
During the public comment period at the beginning of the session, Grace Ross and several other speakers stepped forward to present a petition urging the city to “enforce the law to protect people” experiencing bankruptcies and evictions. They expressed concerns about constables lacking proper officer training or credentials.
“Please uphold our laws,” Ross implored the council. Ross is the coordinator of the Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending.
Her comments were echoed by several others. In supporting Ross’s petition, Chris Horton said he has seen evidence of constables “not showing their licenses. I could get a constable’s license online,” he claimed.
Bill Gardner, who identified himself as a former Worcester police officer, said he has faced foreclosure twice, illegally,” and has been “assaulted and threatened.”
“Where is the disconnect?” Councilor Khrystian King asked. “What kind of oversight do we have?”
City Manager Eric Batista said the city has 24 constables, all of whom must post bond in order to perform their duties. Interim Police Chief Paul Saucier said constables “have to go through the WPD to have arrest powers.” As for the WPD’s role, “We respect and preserve the peace, we cannot do civil,” he said. He noted in replying to King’s inquiry about what protections are in place for officers of the WPD that the department is “put in a very difficult position” by the constables issue.
King filed a motion for the matter to go to the city manager.
King also weighed in heavily on other topics up for discussion throughout the evening, starting with the prospective appointment of Meg Mulhern and John Harrity to five-year terms on the Worcester Ballpark Commission.
King expressed frustration that despite repeated requests on his part for information about the work of the commission, “here we are again without a schedule” of community events planned for Polar Park this season “and a whole host of things. The community is being shortchanged. We should be on top of this. We really need a proper accounting.”
King had no objection to the appointments of Mulhern and Harrity. Councilors Candy Mero-Carlson and Morris Bergman both pointed out that both candidates are standout citizens who are well-qualified to continue on with the ballpark commission. Mero-Carlson countered King’s stance by saying, “It is shortsighted to say this commission isn’t producing.” Bergman added, “We need to give the appointees an opportunity with a new term starting.”
The recommended appointment of Stephanie Silva to the Advisory Committee on the Status of Women was approved. It was noted that Mulhern and Harrity’s appointments are at the discretion of the city manager.
Violent crime in the city, a small number causing the problem
“I’ve been saying this all along—It’s a small amount that’s committing all the violence in the city,” said Chief Saucier, referencing a crime statistics report he submitted to the city manager. “Those are the people that need to be targeted and put in prison and then this will stop because everybody out there is not shooting guns.”
City Council addressed Saucier’s report on 2023 crime statistics, which indicates, “several categories of crime, including property crime, have continued their multi-year decline.” The number of homicides dropped from 12 in 2022 to six in 2023, the report indicates, and continues to be dramatically lower than other mid-sized cities in the region.”
“Other types of crimes, including crimes related to gunfire, have increased,” Batista wrote in submitting Saucier’s report to council.
According to the report, there were 34 non-fatal shooting incidents with 39 victims in 2023, compared to 25/34 in 2022, and 28/32 in 2021. There was an increase in reported gunshots, from 635 in 2022 to 736 in 2023, which is 26% higher than the five-year average for that category. Robberies increased to 225 from 173, but is still lower than the national average.
After commending Saucier on the WPD’s “excellent” job, Mayor Joseph M. Petty said, “What concerns me is the guns. What plans are coming along to address this?”
Saucier replied that the WPD is collaborating with ATF to “create a gun crime center where all the casings and ammunition we get, all the firearms we get, we can actually analyze them and link them… for instance, in this report, there were actually 128 casings found that were linked to another shooting. So when you can combine those all together and take that information working with federal authorities, you’re able to enhance penalties.”
Saucier said it is disturbing to him that 32 offenders can be arrested in a week, only to see 17 released. “That to me is a problem,” he said.
King jumped into the conversation to ask about what youth programs are being utilized to combat crime. Saucier listed several including a basketball camp and “starting up youth dialogue again. If you are busy you will stay out of trouble,” Saucier said.
King asked for a report on both the Research Router program and the Shot Spotter program, saying “We cannot overemphasize the importance of crime statistics because a lot of things impact crime. We cannot hang our hats on crime stats.”
Saucier noted that “community engagement patrols” will start April 1 as a further way to interact with the public and get residents’ input.
King had “a number of questions about police overtime” and wondered if “an app” would help track this. Batista said the administration is reviewing “a new product” that might help. In response to an inquiry from King, Saucier explained that OT accrued by members of his department serving as school liaison officers, or SLOs, relates to their having to be on the scene “before and after” their assigned hours of duty.
The item was sent to Municipal Operations.
A request from City Clerk Nikolin Vangjeli for the manager to submit statements of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) prompted King to ask about the cost component for the new Burncoat High School. The city should be looking “at East Middle too,” he said.
Councilor George Russell then said, “I am going to hold this item for a report on East Middle.” Russell added, “Burncoat, we are knocking down a building that looks like new construction to me compared to East Middle.”
Rod Lee is a career journalist, a veteran of the media scene in Central Massachusetts and the author of seven books including the recently published “Gil Cristopher,” a novel about the difficulties associated with aging. He can be contacted at rodlee1963@gmail.com
