By Jerry Filmore
WORCESTER, MA — Nearly four years after federal officials opened a civil rights investigation into the Worcester Police Department, the City of Worcester says the U.S. Department of Justice has informed the municipality that the investigation is now closed without further action.
The City announced the decision Friday, Aug. 7, saying the DOJ had notified Worcester a day earlier that it had chosen to close the investigation “without further action and without sustaining any allegations from its 2024 report.”
The closure marks a significant development in a federal review that began in November 2022 and led to a December 2024 report raising serious concerns about policing practices in Worcester.
The City’s announcement does not erase the history of that investigation or the findings previously published by the Justice Department. The DOJ’s December 2024 findings report stated that investigators had reasonable cause to believe the Worcester Police Department and City engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprived people of rights protected by the Constitution and federal law.
Among its findings, DOJ said WPD used excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment, including certain uses of Tasers, police dogs and strikes to the head. The department also raised concerns about interactions involving people experiencing behavioral health crises, alleged sexual misconduct involving undercover officers and the handling of sexual assault investigations.
The federal investigation had been announced in November 2022. At the time, DOJ said it would examine WPD practices under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, the Safe Streets Act of 1968 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
After the findings were released in December 2024, Worcester officials said they would review the allegations while continuing changes that had already been underway within the Police Department.
In April 2025, WPD published a summary of policies, reforms and practices connected to the DOJ recommendations. The department said DOJ’s investigation focused on practices from 2018 through 2022 and argued that the federal report did not fully reflect changes implemented afterward.
Those efforts included reviews of department policies, changes involving officer accountability and supervision, expanded body-worn camera reviews, changes to the civilian complaint process, training initiatives and work related to data collection and racial equity.
WPD also released its own analysis disputing portions of the federal findings and questioning some of DOJ’s methodology and conclusions, while stating that the department took the allegations seriously.
The City said Friday that its work on police policies and practices will continue despite the federal investigation ending.
City Manager Eric D. Batista thanked the DOJ, Police Chief Paul Saucier and members of the department and said Worcester would remain committed to continued evaluation and improvement.
“While the DOJ investigation may be closed, we remain committed to proactive evaluation and improvement,” Batista said.
For Worcester residents, the closure ends the federal investigation that has been part of the city’s public discussion around policing, accountability, use of force and community trust since 2022. It does not end the Police Department’s responsibility for its own policies, training, oversight or ongoing reforms.
The City’s Aug. 7 announcement does not provide a detailed explanation from DOJ about the legal or factual basis for closing the investigation. As of Aug. 8, What’s Up Worcester did not locate a separate public DOJ announcement explaining the closure. DOJ’s original findings report remains publicly available on the Justice Department’s website.
The municipality has said it plans to continue evaluating and improving WPD practices even though the federal investigation has concluded.
Residents can review the City of Worcester’s announcement on the investigation’s closure, as well as the Justice Department’s 2024 findings and Worcester Police Department reports detailing changes made following the federal review.
🔎 W.U.W. Verification Box
• Project / Topic: U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the Worcester Police Department and City of Worcester.
• Current Status: The City of Worcester announced Aug. 7, 2026, that DOJ informed the municipality it had closed the investigation without further action. The City also said DOJ did not sustain allegations from its 2024 report.
• Key Dates or Decisions: DOJ opened the investigation on Nov. 15, 2022. DOJ announced its findings on Dec. 9, 2024. WPD released reports addressing the findings and its ongoing practices in April 2025. The City announced the investigation’s closure on Aug. 7, 2026.
• Estimated Cost: The City’s Aug. 7 announcement and the reviewed DOJ materials do not provide a total cost associated with the federal investigation or Worcester’s response.
• Timeline: The federal investigation lasted from November 2022 until the City was notified of its closure in August 2026.
• Immediate Next Steps: The City says WPD will continue evaluating and improving its policies and practices even though the federal investigation has ended.
• Primary Sources: City of Worcester Office of the City Manager; Worcester Police Department; U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
• What We Do Not Yet Know: The City’s announcement does not provide a detailed written explanation from DOJ describing why the investigation was closed or how DOJ evaluated its earlier findings before reaching that decision. As of Aug. 8, What’s Up Worcester did not locate a separate public DOJ announcement providing those details.
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