WORCESTER, Mass. - 'Mistakes and mischaracterizations.' It's how the Worcester Police Department describes the Department of Justice's report on WPD. The department released their own analysis of the 40-plus page report this week.

The police department says they cooperated extensively with the DOJ over the course of two years, providing them access to their records management systems, body cam footage, and a number of other documents. But police say to date, the DOJ hasn't identified any of the specific incidents reviewed in their investigation yet.

The DOJ'S report found reasonable cause to believe the WPD and the City of Worcester engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the constitution and federal law. The investigation found the police department has problems with excessive force, inappropriate sexual behavior toward women while working undercover, handling of sexual assault allegations and racial discrimination.

Worcester Police disagreeing with the use of force claims, saying they account for only 0.08% of all their total incidents.

The police department laying out reasons in which they feel the DOJ report came up short, saying they failed to provide important contextual details, did not appropriately describe the behavior of subjects, did not acknowledge officers' attempts to de-escalate situations, as well as failing to mention the nature of the offenses committed and the dangers subjects posed to officers and the public.

Worcester Police also addressing issues the report has with how the sexual assault unit handles cases, saying the DOJ looked at a small sample size of cases, just under 3.5%, and they claim it's insufficient to use for the basis of conclusions. The analysis also says the DOJ broadly mischaracterized the practices of the sexual assault unit by failing to acknowledge a number of factors including detailed information provided by officers.

The DOJ report also concluded Worcester Police's practices disproportionately impacted Hispanic and Black communities. The analysis says that conclusion is based primarily on traffic stop, arrest, and citation data. Worcester Police calls the claim 'seriously flawed,' saying they don't account for race when drivers by the department are stopped only when a citation is given. The department saying from 2018 to 2023, more than 52% of citations were given out to people identifying as white.

The department's full analysis of the DOJ report can be found here.