Bureau Brief: Department of Justice Pattern or Practice Investigations

On November 15, 2022, the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and the Office of U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachel S. Rollins announced the start of a “Pattern-or-Practice” investigation of the Worcester Police Department. This brief does not make any conjectures about what prompted the Department of Justice investigation, but rather aims to educate the public about what we know about the process, its potential length, and the types of outcomes that may come from it.