Worcester Has Paid $4M To Settle Police Suits Since 2010: Records

WORCESTER, MA — Worcester taxpayers have paid more than $4 million since 2010 to settle almost 30 lawsuits against the police department, according to records gathered by the group Defund WPD. The group released details about the lawsuits Monday as part of a push to reduce the police department budget as Worcester prepares for the 2022 budget process.

The payouts across the 27 settlements range from as low as $8,000 up into the millions. There are also more than a dozen lawsuits against Worcester police that haven't been settled yet. The most recent was filed in February by Sylvester Agyeah, who claims Worcester officers wrongly arrested him and used racist language.

The most expensive settlement among the 27 publicized Monday by Defund WPD was a $2.1 million payout to Nga Truong, who was forced in 2008 to confess to suffocating her son.

In a news release, Defund WPD said it wants the Worcester police budget cut by $4 million in 2022, with that money diverted to "public health, job training, education and stable housing."

The group is also asking Attorney General Maura Healey and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the department. The DOJ often sues local police departments to force them to comply with reforms. The DOJ recently investigated the Springfield police narcotics unit, finding that officers routinely violated the civil rights of city residents. Many of the lawsuits against Worcester police involve allegations of excessive force and wrongful arrest.

Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. released his 2022 budget proposal on Monday afternoon, and it keeps the police department funded at virtually the same level as fiscal 2021. The proposed 2022 police budget is $52.7 million, about $700 higher than 2021. But it's possible spending could rise in the coming months. City officials want to buy body cameras for every officer, which could cost up to $11 million. The department was also granted about $1 million this winter to pay for an expansion of the ShotSpotter program.

Defund WPD formed one year ago following a June 1 protest in Worcester focusing on the George Floyd murder. The group fought to cut the police department's $254,000 increase during the 2021 budget process, although the Worcester City Council approved it.

Augustus' $733.7 million fiscal 2022 budget proposal will be debated by City Council before a final approval in June.