The Worcester City Council on Tuesday night voted against creating a civilian review board to help oversee the police department, ending months of debate that have pitted city leaders against residents calling for more police oversight.
The City Council meeting was the first time councilors discussed the idea of a civilian review board since City Manager Eric Batista released a report in July recommending the city not establish one.
Batista argued that creating the independent oversight panel with its own support staff would be too expensive, and that it isn’t necessary because Worcester already has several ways of investigating police misconduct. That stance has outraged many residents who’ve spent years calling for more independent oversight of the police department following a 2024 U.S. Department of Justice investigation that found police have used excessive force, disproportionately targeted Black and Latino people, and committed other “outrageous” misconduct.
At the meeting Tuesday, dozens of residents spoke in support of a civilian review board, arguing that the police department’s internal investigations of officer misconduct are ineffective and that independent oversight would help restore trust in Worcester police. Speakers pointed to a report last year from the nonpartisan Worcester Regional Research Bureau which called a civilian review board “overdue.”
However, in an 8-3 vote, city councilors agreed with the city manager that Worcester should continue to strengthen its existing investigative capabilities rather than create new ones.
“The question isn’t whether we want police accountability. We absolutely do,” Councilor Kate Toomey said. “The question is whether creating another civilian review board is the best way to achieve it. And I believe that Worcester should focus on an oversight system that’s independent, transparent, timely and grounded in professional expertise while preserving due process for our officers and protecting the public.”
Before the councilors’ vote, Chief Equity Officer Kevin Lovaincy gave a presentation outlining reforms the city and police department have adopted since the Justice Department’s investigation to enhance training and hold officers more accountable.
Lovaincy noted that he has a team of five investigators that review allegations of police misconduct. When an investigation uncovers wrongdoing, Lovaincy discusses the findings and works to find a resolution with Police Chief Paul Saucier, who Lovaincy said “is the sole authority figure to ensure that discipline is handled.”
Saucier pointed to one recent incident in which he moved to terminate an officer found to have committed misconduct. He also asked the Massachusetts Peace Officer and Training Commission to decertify the officer, who ended up resigning.
Saucier added that the police department is revamping its policies and practices as part of a rigorous process to secure accreditation from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Program.
“We want the public to trust us. We want to be as transparent as possible,” he said.
Lovaincy suggested the city has already made progress curtailing police misconduct, but acknowledged that some cases of wrongdoing may go unreported. He pointed to data showing an 81% decline in excessive-use-of-force complaints since 2018, and said most cases resulted in the officer being exonerated.
Several city councilors applauded that progress and the police department’s reforms, including Mayor Joseph Petty, who chairs the council. Petty echoed previous comments that he doesn’t think civilian review boards are effective, pointing to the Boston Police Department’s past refusal to cooperate with that city’s review board.
“There’s always drama attached to them, and they don’t seem to work great,” Petty said during Tuesday’s meeting. “The chief when it comes to law enforcement [has] really put accountability in place. I’ve seen the change in three years.”
Vice Chair Khrystian King, Luis Ojeda and Rob Bilotta were the three councilors who voted in support of creating a civilian review board. Ojeda and Bilotta agreed that the police department has made progress holding officers more accountable, but said the additional layer of oversight is necessary to ensure transparency.
Although Councilor John Fressolo didn’t vote for the civilian review board and said nobody can be more “pro-police” than him, he added he still supports creating the oversight panel. Fressolo did not explain why he ended up voting against creating the civilian review board despite expressing support for it.
Fressolo recounted an experience last year in which he believes an on-duty Worcester police sergeant took a picture of a political sign in his yard. Fressolo said that picture then appeared on social media with a caption accusing him of being “anti-police.” The officer also commented on the post, agreeing with it, Fressolo added.
“I did go through human resources and filed a complaint,” Fressolo said, before noting the officer was never punished. “I definitely believe he’s capable of repeating the same behavior again.”
After the meeting, advocates of a civilian review board said they were disappointed but not surprised by the City Council’s vote. Giselle Rivera-Flores is part of a coalition of residents and activists who met with each city councilor in recent weeks to explain to them the importance of a civilian review board.
Rivera-Flores said she believes a majority of councilors feared that if they voted for the board, they might experience retaliation from the police department and the police union that represents officers.
“That is very disheartening to see,” she said. “The folks that have been elected to this body, into this current administration, do not reflect the majority of the voice of the people.”
