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Worcester police report shows wide body‑camera use; department piloting on‑device translation
Summary
The Public Safety Committee accepted a police body‑camera report showing broad deployment since 2023, ongoing review processes and a pilot of an Axon translation tool. Public commenters raised accountability and public‑records concerns.
The Public Safety Committee on Sept. 9 accepted and filed a police report showing the Worcester Police Department has broadly deployed body‑worn cameras since February 2023 and is using reviews and new software tools to train officers and support investigations.
The report, presented by Chief Saucier, said about 300 department members are assigned body cameras and that, as of Feb. 15, 2025, the department had stored 275,328 pieces of video evidence in cloud storage at evidence.com. The department conducts random reviews of recordings and reviews all level‑3 and level‑4 use‑of‑force incidents; supervisors review level‑3 incidents and captains or lieutenants review level‑4 incidents, Saucier said.
Committee members were also told the department is piloting Axon Assistant, an on‑device translation tool that can auto‑detect and translate up to 50 languages. Saucier said the pilot has helped officers give directions and communicate on traffic stops and welfare calls, and that the department will evaluate licensing and hardware costs once the pilot concludes and as the current technology contract continues through 2027.
A public commenter, David Webb of Olympia, criticized the department’s accountability practices and the city’s public‑records handling, saying camera use and internal reviews alone do not produce accountability if records are not promptly released. Webb urged better compliance with public‑records laws.
Committee Chair Councilor Kate Toomey moved to accept and file the report; the committee approved the motion by roll call with Councilor Morris Bergman and Councilor Louis Ojeda voting yes alongside Toomey.
Why it matters: The department’s combination of device deployment, supervisory review and a language‑translation pilot is intended to strengthen transparency, training and response in a linguistically diverse city. Public comment at the meeting signaled continuing community concern about whether internal review and public‑records processes deliver independent accountability.
What’s next: The department will continue trials and report on costs and outcomes; the committee’s acceptance means no immediate policy change was adopted during the Sept. 9 meeting.
