The Need for Real Race Dialogue in Worcester

The Need for Real Dialogue on Police Misconduct and Race in Worcester

The racist murders of Black, Latino, Native Indians and other dark skin people by the police had compelled President Obama to go on national TV last night. He spoke awkwardly about racist misconduct by police and that not all cops were bad. No City Official has felt compelled to do the same.

The President at least made an acknowledgement that Blacklives Matter.  Something that most in City government is afraid to do.

There have been several demonstrations against racist police murders and racism in Worcester. There have been petitions to City Council and to the School Committee about the use of police in the City school system and the school to prison to pipeline.

People have demanded that the City release complaints made against the police. I know these documents exist, but the Police Chief is not making them public. The Manager is not releasing the report of a City boss making racially offensive remarks to a Black motorist at the City Hall garage.

There is an almost useless group of clergy organized by the City Manager.  As individuals all of them are good people, but as a group they just run cover for the Manager and the Chief.

The Worcester Human Rights Commission which is supposed to be the watcher of the police cannot do anything unless the Manager Oks it. This might excuse its Director, but it does not excuse the individual members of the Human Rights Commission from speaking out. They as individuals do not work for the City Manager. With few exception this group has failed in their obligations.

From the demonstration against the racist police murders of Sterling and Castile a community group is being formed that might be able to continue the fight against racism and other disparate treatment of the poor by the Worcester Police. This new group will meet Tuesday, July 19, 2016, 6 PM, Clark Univ. Jefferson Hall, room 222.

Over 100 people attended the anti-racism demonstrations at City Hall and at the police station, including Mass. Human Rights and the Progressive Labor Party.

There is a need more than ever to have a real dialogue about race and police policy and misconduct. Last summer’s so called race dialogues was organized by the City Manager who proved his racist bias by seeking criminal charges against Blacklives Matter demonstrators. Charges that the police sergeant at the scene and the court judge said were not criminal at all.

Those so called dialogues in 2015 were a joke. Instead of the City answering questions about policies, the City ran the meetings, the City allowed the Police Chief to excise himself, and then the City lost the notes.

The policies that the Chief and Manager now have to explain are the enforcement of “broken windows”, the use of body cameras, transparency, and enforcement of the dirt bike ordinance.

Hopefully this will be the beginning of a Human Rights organization independent of the police.