The U.S. Justice Department reported on Monday that the Worcester, Massachusetts, police department routinely violates constitutional rights by using excessive force and allowing undercover officers to engage in sexual contact with women in the commercial sex trade. This follows a two-year investigation into whether the Worcester Police Department systematically discriminates against city residents. The investigation is part of the Justice Department’s broader efforts to address police abuses, with 12 such probes opened during President Joe Biden’s tenure, following a hiatus under President Donald Trump.
Concerns about the Worcester police’s treatment of women suspected of being sex workers have been raised since at least 2019. A 2019 survey by an advocacy group found that over half of the women reported being misled by police into providing sex acts. After George Floyd’s murder in 2020, Worcester residents protesting police brutality faced officers in riot gear.
In response, Worcester’s outside counsel, Brian Kelly, criticized the Justice Department’s report, calling it unfair and biased. He questioned why no officers had been prosecuted if the allegations were true. While the city has implemented some reforms, such as body cameras and a policy review committee, the Justice Department stated that more is needed to repair the department’s relationship with the community.
The Justice Department plans to seek feedback from Worcester residents on potential remedies for the constitutional violations. To date, no formal consent decrees have been signed with any of the cities found to have systemic police abuses under the Biden administration. It is anticipated that a change in leadership under Trump’s second term will shift priorities away from civil rights investigations.
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