Full and original article posted on Masslive.
A year after the Department of Justice released a scathing report into how Worcester police officers engaged in unwanted sexual acts with vulnerable women, officers are now engaging less frequently with women in the sex trade, according to Audra Doody, the co-executive director for the The Safe Exit Initiative.
When the DOJ report was first released, it also went into detail about how officers engaged in excessive use of force and disproportionately targeted Black and Hispanic people. The Safe Exit Initiative, an organization in Worcester supporting individuals involved in the sex trade, wrote that they were “shocked but not surprised” by the findings….
The DOJ’s report drew outrage from those critical of the police, with several calling for reforms and additional oversight of the department. The report also drew the anger among those supportive of the police, with two police unions calling the report’s findings “inaccurate.”
Activists, some city councilors and even the Worcester Regional Research Bureau (WRRB) have endorsed the creation of a civilian review board, with the WRRB recommending the board have the ability to investigate and review cases, be given the power to subpoena documents and have access to police data systems, along with other recommendations to conduct oversight.
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