Worcester Police Department

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www.CrimeReports.com

Maybe this can be of some use to the good folks of Union Hill, Piedmont, Green Island, Main South and all our other beloved Worcester neighborhoods. Citizens have free access to neighborhood crime data through the Worcester Police Department website and iPhone app.  – R. Tirella

BOSTON — A civil rights lawsuit has been filed by a Chicago resident against Worcester Police Officer Jeremy Smith, alleging the use of excessive force during a routine motor vehicle stop.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts has announced that Wakeelah Cocroft, of Chicago, Illinois, has filed the case in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

The complaint alleges that Ms. Cocroft was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by her sister, Clytheia Mwangi, of Worcester, on December 29, 2007. The two women were pulled over at a gas station on Park Avenue at 7am by Officer Smith. According to Ms. Cocroft, the officer aggressively approached the vehicle they were in and began screaming at Ms. Mwangi for speeding.

While the officer wrote the ticket, Ms. Cocroft, who was a passenger in the car, went into the station to purchase gas and then returned to use the pump. The police officer began yelling at her and ordered her to return to the car. As she went to the car, she told the officer that he had no right to speak to her in that manner and that she knew her rights.

Officer Smith grabbed her from behind, and threw her on the ground, slamming her face against the concrete, according to the complaint.

She alleges that he then kneeled on her back until a second officer arrived in response to a 911 call by Ms. Mwangi.

The complaint alleges that the use of force caused bodily injury to Ms. Cocroft’s face and shoulder.

The civil rights claim alleges that the use of force was excessive and unnecessary and that there was no probable cause to arrest Ms. Cocroft for charges of Disturbing the Peace and Resisting Arrest. In addition, the complaint alleges that Officer Smith arrested Ms. Cocroft in retaliation for speaking up about his conduct.

By Ronal Madnick, Director
Worcester County Chapter
ACLU of Massachusetts

A law, SB1070, passed in Arizona makes the rampant racial profiling of Latinos that is already going on in Arizona much worse. If this law were implemented, citizens would effectively have to carry ‘their papers’ at all times to avoid arrest. It is a low point in modern America when a state law requires police to demand documents from people on the street.

This unconstitutional law sends a strong message to all immigrants to have no contact with any law enforcement officer. The inevitable result is not only to make immigrants more vulnerable to crime and exploitation, but also to make the entire community less safe, by aggressively discouraging witnesses and victims from reporting crimes. It violates the supremacy clause by interfering with federal immigration power and authority. The law also unlawfully invites racial profiling against Latinos and other people of color. Click to continue »

By Ron Chiras

Would anyone like to see what is still happening on College Hill, home to Holy Cross College?

Last weekend Boyden and Caro streets were blocked at 1 a.m., Sunday morning (April 24). This week-end is the BIG ONE!!?

Read this alert sent out to residents and join the “Hill” people in trying to figure out what the h— is going on!

Holy Cross Spring Weekend: an annual event that occurs on the Holy Cross campus this first weekend of May. There are activities on campus but, of course, Caro Street is the big attraction.

We suspect, as in the past, many hundreds [of students] will be on Boyden and Caro streets – drinking in overcrowded apartments, cellars, porches and yards – most of them underage with open containers of alcohol. Click to continue »

By Rosalie Tirella

Last night I sat before a little TV set mesmerized – absolutely mesmerized! – by all the whackiness that was flying around the august City Council chambers. You should have been their, folks! OR: You should have at least watched last night’s Worcester City Council meeting on your TV set! You could have sliced the rancor and the nuttiness with a meat cleaver! It was “Reno 911″ Worcester style! What a gas, gas, gas!!!!

Here we go: Nutty Scene #1: Sam Rosario. Rosario, a duplicitous blowhard whom everyone in Worcester thinks is a duplicitous blowhard, is representing the liveries in their quest to become taxis. Sammy is a guy who once told political opponent Joe Cassella to step out of a three-way city council primary race because he (Cassella) had no chance of winning – it was really a race between him (Rosario) and the incumbent (dope Joff Smith). That was before Cassella trounced him and then went on to run against Smith in November and do fairly well – and seemingly (thank God!) put an end to Rosario’s political aspirations. Well, last night Sammy went bonkers. Click to continue »

By Ron Chiras

Promises!!? – [Worcester] Housing Court: orders landlords to reduce numbers in apartments out of code. 10 Boyden by Dec. 31st – students still there. 125 College St. – since 2000 has been breaking the law- no permits to add attic apt. – ordered to reduce numbers – extra students still there. The same at 21, 23, 26 Caro St.- 11 and 13 Boyden. We know this will not stop the unruly parties in apartments and in the streets.

—–Worcester Police – keep their promises – will not arrest students. The poor kids (they are running the show). Keep the same non-working policy of the Holy Cross detail “patrolling” the Hill. BUT, they don’t seem to be working with the Holy Cross campus police, off-campus or responding to the neighborhood’s cry for help. They say students are not breaking the law in the streets, so they can’t arrest them. Can you believe it?

—–Holy Cross – no control of off-campus students – giving the college a very bad rep.
Supposed to enforce on-campus code of conduct, off-campus, (WE were encouraged) HOW? Holy Cross said the Campus police!

Beautify the neighborhood by tearing down houses that have been unoccupied for 10 years, then letting students park cars on that land. What gives? We realize landscaping won’t come till spring. But allowing more party parking!?

SO IT GOES – READ ON!

January 18, 2010 – Holy Cross students start returning to school for Spring semester. Four Holy Cross owned houses have been torn down over the Christmas break to help “beautify” the street. Students begin using the land to park their cars.

January 22, 2010 – Party weekend on Caro St. – as usual. Worcester Police Department and Holy Cross campus police were to work together. No way. WPD seen in cruiser, 20 feet away from unruly students who were shouting, drinking outside in freezing temps after midnight. No action taken. NO campus police seen anywhere off-campus.

January 29, 2010 – “Things” get worse. Reported – party at 3 City View St. – Holy Cross-owned. Saturday into Sunday morn. Noise heard at Kendig and Davenport streets. Also, partying in the street between 125 and 138 College St . Neighbor reports staggering drunks, shouting-swearing by dozens of students going between houses. Sound familiar? WPD seen going by the students two times and they did nothing. This was after midnight in freezing temperatures. No campus police seen anywhere off campus.

WHEN WILL IT END? WE NEED HELP! WHO IS RUNNING THE SHOW?!

By Rosalie Tirella

I got my hands on some police union minutes – juicy stuff, when it comes to pols and which political candidates the police unions are backing.  The minutes of a recent meeting of IBPO Local 504 have the cops deciding to hell with District 4 City Counilor Barabara Haller who has worked with them to make Main South and the rest of the inner-city safer – to hell with her and onwards and upwards for Grace Ross, Haller’s opponent. becaise Ross will fund the Quinn Bill and more. The minutes (which are several pages long) state: “Grace Ross is running in District 4. She is totally pro-labor … .” Barbara Haller, according to the police union minutes, “filed an order requesting that the City Manager provide the [City] Council report explaining the steps necessary for the City Council to revise its 1987 vote [editor's note, more like 2006!] relative to the Quinn Bill. President Cummings said that this means only one thing – that Barbara Haller has taken a posititon in direct opposition to our best interests. We need to work in the upcoming election to see that she is defeated.” Click to continue »

By Rosalie Tirella

I have a newspaper. I write stories. Sometimes, like all reporters, I have to call the Worcester Police Department for comments re: stories we’re working on. Invariably, I get shunted to police dept. “spokesperson” Sgt. Kerry Hazelhurst. This guy cannot write – he can only answer the phone and get back to you with half-baked answers and then YOU, the writer, are supposed to record the golden goose’s verbal eggs (usually scrambled). This guy doesn’t/can’t write shit. He didn’t write the WPD press release that’s sailing around the blogosphere. Click to continue »

By Rosalie Tirella

Wow! The Quinn Bill classes! A total farce! A complete waste of time! A black hole for our tax dollars! A football field of quick-sand! We always felt these classes were jr. high part II and did nothing to make cops more sensitive to their communities or give them better communication skills. Just look at some of our cops and the way they “finesse” all kinds of volatile/deadly situations – specifically Mark Rojas.

But now the City of Worcester knows for sure. Quinn Bill diploma mills (Anna Maria, QCC) tell police officers: give us the money – and we give you a piece of paper that gets you other pieces of paper – the green kind with our founding fathers printed on one side and “In God We Trust” on the other. Police Chief Gemme got himself an extra $40,000 (per year) because he took these classes. And other cops have reaped the benefits – $5 million in total. $5 million per year the City of Worcester must pay (it’s in the police contract) all the Quinn Bill “Scholars” at the Worcester Police Department. Click to continue »