Worcester City Manager Eric Batista Explains Police Accountability Tools, Speed Humps, and Development Incentives

By-Hank Stolz

Photo-Radio Worcester

Worcester, MA-With public discussion continuing around the idea of a Citizen Advisory Board for the Worcester Police Department, City Manager Eric Batista offered insight into what police accountability could look like through a new Chief’s Advisory Committee and why city leadership views oversight as a multi-layered system rather than a single solution.

Batista described a Chief’s Advisory Committee as one of several tools that can strengthen accountability and transparency within the department. He emphasized that community trust and oversight are best supported through a combination of mechanisms, including body-worn cameras and the Massachusetts POST Commission.

“Civilian review board is one tool, right? A chief advisory committee is another tool. Body cameras are another tool. Post commission is another tool… sometimes people think that one tool itself is going to be the end all be all to resolve every issue,” Batista said. “And I think we, as an administration, we try to look at it holistically and see what are the tools that are best to provide the accountability for our employees.”

The conversation also turned to traffic safety after comments from a Worcester City Councilor raised concerns about whether the city is adding too many speed humps. Batista explained that Worcester takes what he called a “three Es” approach: engineering, education, and enforcement. He said the city is working to establish clearer standards for where and when traffic calming strategies including speed humps are most appropriate.

Another major topic was development accountability and the city’s role in supporting projects through tax incentives. Batista explained that Worcester uses tools such as tax increment financing agreements (TIFs), typically used for commercial development, and tax increment exemptions (TIEs), which are often tied to residential projects. He framed these incentives as necessary in the current economic climate, helping developers finance projects that may otherwise be difficult to move forward.

Batista also pushed back on the idea that tax incentives automatically mean a lack of oversight, saying the city does enforce agreements when developers do not meet expectations. As an example, he cited the removal of a TIF from the Unum property as proof that Worcester will act when needed.

Finally, Batista confirmed that the City of Worcester, through the Worcester Redevelopment Authority (WRA), has taken control of the former RMV building from the state in order to manage its redevelopment into housing. He noted that the approach mirrors the city’s earlier strategy with the former courthouse an example of Worcester taking a more direct role in steering redevelopment toward long-term community benefit.