Mayor Joe Petty Addresses Racist Mural Incident, Police Oversight and ALPR Policy

Worcester Mayor Calls for Six-Month Review of Police Reforms

By-Hank Stolz
Graphic-Radio Worcester

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Worcester, MA-Worcester Mayor Joe Petty appeared on Radio Worcester to address a racially charge incident in the city and the controversial filing of the Citizen Review Board for police oversight. Worcester Mayor Joe Petty joined radio hosts Hank and Ben on a Wednesday morning to address several pressing local issues. Two artists painting a mural outside the YWCA were subjected to racial slurs by an unidentified individual, whose face and license plate were captured on video. Mayor Petty condemned the behavior and drew comparisons to a similar incident that occurred during the painting of a BLM/George Floyd mural near the DCU Center.

The bulk of the discussion centered on the Worcester City Council’s 8-3 vote to file a proposal for a Civilian Review Board, a decision that came after a lengthy public hearing. Mayor Petty, who has consistently opposed the board, highlighted the work of the city’s DEI office, which employs five investigators and conducts police misconduct investigations from the outset rather than reviewing completed police investigations after the fact. He expressed confidence in Chief Saucier and his reforms, noting the department’s response to all 19 DOJ recommendations, updated policies, accreditation efforts, and the removal of the chief and deputy chiefs from civil service protections. He gave us the reason behind his vote to file, “I really believe that passing this review of the real board was just the wrong time because things have changed so dramatically in the Worcester Police Department. It would really undercut him and undermine him as a Worcester police chief because he’s out there in front of this.” Petty called for benchmarks and a six-month review to assess progress. He pointed out, “Is it ever really independent when the manager or the city council is picking the people who are going to be on the civilian review board? And so, I think we come pretty close to making the police accountable for the procedures and policies we put in place.” He also spoke of some of the hurdles that would have to be overcome for a civilian review board, “The obstacles to a civilian review board…you have to negotiate with the unions. You have to develop staff, train staff…it’d take a year or two to get there.”

The conversation also addressed the city’s use of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) under policy 586, distinguishing Worcester’s system from the privately operated Flock system by noting that data is stored locally, access is restricted to specific personnel with documented justification, and records are purged after 60 days. Mayor Petty acknowledged public concerns about civil liberties and data privacy and indicated he would ask the city manager to present a formal report on the policy.