The release of a blistering Department of Justice report on Worcester’s police force may seem like a watershed moment of sorts for the city. However, affected communities say its contents are long-known.

The Justice Department alleged Worcester police engaged in a “pattern or practice” of sexual misconduct involving women suspected of prostitution.

The police department in Worcester allowed officers to engage in sexual contact with women suspected of being involved in the commercial sex trade, according to a Justice Department report.

The Worcester Police Department has unjustifiably used Tasers, police dogs and hit people on the head, the U.S. Department of Justice's report states.

A Worcester pastor shares his troubling encounter with police, echoing a DOJ report on civil rights violations, and calls for community oversight.

Hector Pineiro, an attorney from Worcester, joins WBUR's Morning Edition to discuss the Justice Department report on alleged abuses by the city's police.

“The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division has issued an unfair, inaccurate, and biased report which unfairly smears the entire Worcester police force by claiming there is a pattern or practice by the WPD to engage in excessive use of force and sexual harassment of prostitutes,” Kelly said in a statement.