WORCESTER, Mass. - As the U.S. Department of Justice begins its investigation of the Worcester Police Department, city leaders are pledging their full cooperation, while facing backlash from city council. 

The DOJ wants to know whether Worcester officers have shown a pattern of excessive force or discriminatory policing, and Acting City Manager Eric Batista said they'll have all the data they need on policies, procedures, training standards and discipline.

"We're not going to be a hindrance, we're not going to stop them from doing their job, we're going to cooperate and work with them collaboratively," Batista said. "That's important that the people need to know that."

Some confusion around Worcester City Hall followed Tuesday's meeting between the DOJ and city leaders. At the end of a lengthy city council session, councilor Candy Mero-Carlson felt she and her colleagues were left in the dark.

"I think it's really sad, quite honestly, when this council finds out about that through the newspaper, and through somebody calling me from one of the news media outlets," Mero-Carlson said. "I didn't have a clue as to what took place."

But Batista told councilors he was just as surprised as they were, claiming city leaders didn't know what the meeting was about until the DOJ filled them in just before the investigation went public. On Wednesday, he was unable to go into further detail about the meeting. 

"If there's any people who have any questions or concerns related to the investigation and what the DOJ is doing, reach out to the DOJ, reach out to the U.S. Attorney's Office," Batista said.

Worcester is the second city in Massachusetts to have its law enforcement procedures and policies investigated by the DOJ. In 2020, it found reasonable cause to believe the Springfield Police Department's narcotics bureau engaged in a pattern of excessive force after a two-year probe. 

At Tuesday night's city council meeting, councilor Khrystian King said he believes the investigation could have been avoided in Worcester. 

"In my opinion, this is the direct result of lack of oversight by us as a council, our public safety committee, and our administration," King said. "If we had been able to kind of take this sort of action independently, the Department of Justice wouldn't be here."

While King expressed disappointment over a lack of momentum on proposed changes such as instituting a civilian review board for the police department with subpoena power, Batista believes the city has made progress in police reform.

"I think one of the things that we've done right now is we have a racial equity audit in place to look at inequities around race in the police department so we did take action," Batista said. "We are taking action to look at multiple things within the police department."

According to the DOJ, the investigation will include a review of the WPD's policies and procedures, systems of accountability, and how officers interact with the public. The Justice Department did not give specifics on what led to the investigation.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins acknowledged officers' challenging job of ensuring safety in the Worcester community, and further explained the scope of the investigation.

“This is the beginning of the process," Rollins said. "We will go where the facts take us. You will hear from me at the end of the investigation, irrespective of outcome. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that policing in Worcester is constitutional, safe, and effective all while the civil rights of their residents remain intact. We thank the City of Worcester, and specifically Chief Steven Sargent, for their cooperation and collaboration in this matter.”

Worcester Police Chief Steven Sargent, Mayor Joe Petty and Acting City Manager Eric Batista released the following joint statement:

"The City of Worcester is working in full cooperation with the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts on the civil investigation announced this afternoon. The Worcester Police Department will continue to work with the state and federal partners on public safety initiatives to protect and serve our citizens. The City and Worcester Police Department collectively strive to deliver the highest quality of municipal services to residents and will continue to do so in a transparent and professional manner as the investigation takes its course."