Worcester Police Hiding in Plain Sight

Police Hiding in Plain Sight

On June 4, 2018 the Worcester Human Right Commission invited the Worcester Police Department to present their views to the public. The Chair of the Worcester Human Rights Commission said several time the Commission was a partner of the police. The forum certainly reinforced this perception.

The Worcester Human Rights Commission never said that it is a partner with the concerned residents of the City. Some people who asked questions were lectured about procedure. Other residents never spoke as the forum dragged on and  people left.

 I guess we should be happy that the police shared any information with us.

Some of the issues which the City police presented were:

1.     Hate Crimes – After many years of efforts by groups like the Massachusetts Human Rights Committee the police finally release hate crime statistics. The police do not include incidents that do not fit their profile in those statistics.

There were 10 hate crimes in Worcester in 2017. This number is so low it strained my and others’ credulities

2.     Body Cams – the Police Chief said that this was in “process”, but he could not name the next event in the process nor the date of the next event

3.     Diversity – The Police claimed to have a program geared toward student. However the police are compelled to hire veterans before all others in the State mandated affirmative action for veterans. Almost all successful police recruits are veterans.

4.     Horse Patrol – The police said that their horse patrols has a positive effect. Unfortunately the police could not give any evidence of the usefulness of horse patrols.

The cost of the four horses, truck, trailer, and minimum of 3 officers on a single assignment, stable, etc.  is over a half million dollars.  So far there has only been anecdotal stories of how kids liking horses. There has been no quantitative evaluation of the useful of horses by the police.

5.     The issue of complaints against police officers was presented in the best light for the police. There were few complaints last year. Most of the complaints made by civilians were not sustained. Most of the complaints made by Police commanders were sustained.  The police presented this as evidence that the police can police the police.

There might be a need for an independent auditor to evaluate all of the City’s Department including the police department.

Two concerned residents spoke of the trauma suffered by students as a result of interactions with the police.  For the elementary school children the trauma is the result of an older person adverse treatment by the police. She indicated that such trauma has been treated at Community Healthlink.

Another concerned resident point out the negative experiences of high school student with the police. She felt it was a factor in the so called School to Jail Pipelne that some characterized as racists.

I am not sure that any one in the City government is really listening or able to make effective policy.