WORCESTER, Mass. – A two-year investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice has determined that the local police in Worcester, Massachusetts, used excessive force and were involved in “outrageous” sexual interactions with women during undercover work, according to a report released on Monday.

“The Department of Justice believes there is reasonable evidence indicating that the Worcester Police Department and the City of Worcester follow patterns of conduct that deny individuals their rights under the Constitution and federal laws,” the 41-page report stated.

Investigators expressed “serious concerns” regarding credible allegations of sexual assault and other forms of sexual misconduct by Worcester police officers, emphasizing a gender bias that affects the department’s investigations into sexual assaults, as well as law enforcement practices that might unfairly discriminate against Black and Hispanic individuals.

The Justice Department’s investigators proposed 19 recommendations that they believe the city should adopt.

This report comes two years after the Justice Department identified substantial reasons to investigate the city police for possible excessive force and racial and gender discrimination.

A few hours before the report was published, an external attorney representing Worcester, former federal prosecutor Brian T. Kelly, labeled the findings as “unfair” in his comments to the Telegram & Gazette, part of the YSL News network.

U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts stated that it is crucial to hold officials accountable.

“The use of excessive force and sexual misconduct by officers sworn to serve and protect severely erodes public trust in law enforcement,” Levy remarked.

“We are eager to collaborate with the City of Worcester and the new leadership of the Worcester Police Department to instate reforms that will prevent these incidents from happening in the future,” he added.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, overseeing the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, noted that the findings released on Monday marked the first time the department has reported a pattern of misconduct related to sexual behavior by officers.

“The Justice Department is committed to combating sexual misconduct in all its facets,” she stated.

Clarke explained that the investigation uncovered evidence that Worcester’s police allowed undercover officers to engage in sexual activities with women suspected of being involved in the sex trade.

Shortly after the announcement about the Justice Department’s investigation, the Telegram & Gazette reported that investigators were examining whether police had sexually assaulted women associated with sex trafficking.

This inquiry is one of approximately 80 “pattern or practice” investigations launched by the Justice Department since 1994. These investigations often lead to legally binding agreements known as consent decrees that compel changes.

Nonetheless, the effectiveness of these decrees—costing cities millions and often requiring over a decade of federal oversight—has come under increased scrutiny, and their use waned during Donald Trump’s first presidential term.

With Trump poised to return to office in January, the Justice Department is reportedly working on releasing several pending reports nationwide. Recently, it has issued similar pattern or practice findings in Trenton, New Jersey, and Memphis, Tennessee.

The department has released about half of the 12 investigations conducted under President Joe Biden, though none has resulted in consent decrees so far.

It is currently unclear whether the Justice Department will pursue a consent decree regarding Worcester.

Return to telegram.com for more on this developing story.