WORCESTER—The city on Friday launched two public-facing resources aimed at tracking its reform efforts following a damning U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) report and an earlier racial equity audit of the Worcester Police Department.
The new resources include a timeline of WPD initiatives since the release of the DOJ report in December 2024, as well as a detailed webpage with updates on the 34 recommendations from the city’s racial equity audit, which was conducted by the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA). A separate city-authored summary report responding to the DOJ findings had been submitted to the Worcester City Council in March 2025.
“My administration has emphasized our commitment to transparency as we’ve worked to address these recommendations,” City Manager Eric D. Batista said in a statement issued Friday. “We have shown that commitment through communications to the City Council and the public, and we are now taking a further step with these public resources, which will continue to be actively updated with the latest information and new initiatives.”
The resources were developed by Batista’s office in collaboration with the WPD and the city’s Executive Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (EODEI).
According to the city’s announcement, the new webpages are part of a broader push to keep residents informed about the changes underway in the department — including improvements to training, accountability systems, and community relations.
Since the DOJ released its findings in December, the WPD has moved to:
- Apply to the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Program;
- Allocate funding for internal affairs software to disaggregate reports within the Bureau of Professional Standards (BOPS); and
- Provide “color-of-law” training to 400 officers, covering use of force, obstruction of justice, and sexual assault.
“Maintaining an open line of communication remains a priority for my Administration,” Batista said. “These new webpages will further enhance our ability to keep residents up-to-date, and I look forward to continued collaboration with municipal departments, the Council, and community stakeholders as we implement fair and equitable policies and practices in our community.”
The city also said that similar tracking tools will be developed in the future for the audits of its Human Resources and Health & Human Services departments.
Background: DOJ findings and city’s response
The DOJ’s December 2024 report concluded that the Worcester Police Department had engaged in a systemic pattern of unconstitutional behavior, including the use of excessive force, sexual misconduct, and racially biased policing. The investigation cited troubling incidents involving tasers, head strikes, and police dog attacks — as well as allegations that undercover officers engaged in sexual contact with women under threat of arrest.
Following the report, the city launched a hotline for reporting police misconduct and began working with outside agencies to implement policy changes and review department practices. City officials, including Mayor Joseph Petty, acknowledged the seriousness of the DOJ’s findings while noting that the department had already begun making changes.
In earlier statements, Batista called the DOJ’s findings “shocking and unacceptable,” and said the city is committed to restoring public trust through transparency, oversight, and reform.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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