City declines, then agrees, to release DEI investigations of police | Exclusive

Worcester, Massachusetts, reversed course on Sept. 4 after initially refusing to release investigations into police officers conducted by its DEI office. A week after telling the Telegram & Gazette it would not turn over the records, the city said it would provide them going forward, with City Manager Eric D. Batista citing the material as one reason he believes the city doesn’t need a civilian police review board. The City Council is set to discuss Batista’s recommendation on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The city’s earlier denial, issued Aug. 26, relied on an exemption under the state Public Records Law, but came after prior court rulings that Worcester had illegally withheld police records. The city said it will release responsive investigatory materials excluding attorney work product.