WORCESTER—A report detailing hate crimes in Worcester last year was submitted to the city council on Tuesday by Police Chief Paul Saucier, outlining nine confirmed incidents in 2024. While the report was referenced during the meeting, it was not discussed publicly. Councilors voted to send the communication to the Standing Committee on Public Safety for further review and discussion.
The report, compiled at the request of City Manager Eric Batista, defines a hate crime based on Massachusetts law as any criminal act “motivated at least in part by racial, religious, ethnic, handicap, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation prejudice.”
Of the nine incidents documented in 2024, five were classified as anti-Black. These included three cases involving vandalized vehicles, one involving racial slurs spray-painted on a school, and one involving email threats. One of the vehicles had both anti-Black and anti-Latino slurs, and was counted as two hate crime incidents.
Other reported incidents included one classified as anti-Asian, involving threatening speech toward an Asian American individual, and two anti-LGBTQ incidents in which pride flags were stolen—first from a church and later from a bar, where they were thrown into a sewer.
According to the police, no injuries were reported in any of the cases. One individual was charged in the flag theft, and another was charged in the vehicle vandalism. Police say charges are not always brought in these types of cases because perpetrators cannot always be identified, despite investigative efforts.
“Thankfully, the number of violent hate crimes in Worcester is low,” Lt. Sean Murtha, public information officer for the Worcester Police Department, told the Worcester Guardian. “Most of them involve vandalism and threats, and physical assaults are rare.”
The report also provides a five-year look at hate crime trends in Worcester:
- 2020: 8 incidents
- 2021: 27 incidents
- 2022: 16 incidents
- 2023: 5 incidents
- 2024: 9 incidents
The 2024 total is below the five-year average of 12.8. Hate crimes in Worcester are tracked by the crime analysis division and a designated hate crimes liaison, currently a sergeant in the Detective Bureau. The officer logs all hate crimes reported in the city as part of their broader investigative duties.
According to Murtha, the police are aware that not all hate crimes may be reported, especially when it comes to threats or harassment. “Like all crimes, it is likely that some hate crimes, particularly threats, are not reported. We encourage all victims to come forward when they are victimized in any way.”
To help address underreporting, WPD has added a full-time LGBTQ liaison officer to strengthen community relationships and reduce barriers to reporting. “Our diversity officers and LGBTQ liaison officer maintain open dialogues with various communities in the city,” Murtha said. “We believe that relationships are crucial to our community building and crime prevention efforts.”
Worcester police hold regular neighborhood meetings, maintain a clergy alliance, and have a designated school liaison officer. “By forming these relationships,” Murtha said, “we make it easier for information sharing and make it easier for anyone victimized to come forward.”
The report notes that hate crimes follow the same reporting process as other crimes and are often referred to the detective bureau for further investigation. Fighting hate crimes, according to the department, involves collaboration with multiple agencies and ongoing community engagement.
Statewide data from the U.S. Department of Justice shows a rise in hate crimes across Massachusetts, with 630 reported in 2023. The largest category involved race, ethnicity, or ancestry bias (285 incidents), followed by religion (156) and sexual orientation (123). Crimes against persons made up 63% of the cases reported statewide.
The Standing Committee on Public Safety is expected to review and assess Worcester’s report in more detail at an upcoming meeting. “Typically reports that are forwarded there are discussed in committee,” Murtha said. “The police attend and answer questions from the committee members.”
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