The Residents and Taxpayers of the City of Worcester submit this petition for the immediate resignation, removal, suspension, and/or a vote of no confidence in the City Manager. He is obligated to engage with the City Council, School Committee, WPD, and Commissions like the Human Rights Commission (HRC), and must not issue unilateral Executive Orders or public announcements that alter how the public engages with city government.

On May 8th, 2025, a neighbor on Eureka Street was violently and traumatically detained by ICE, with the Worcester Police Department (WPD) wrongfully involving themselves. This neighbor held protected status and had an upcoming asylum hearing. Officers were aggressive toward a City Councilor, a School Committee candidate, and a minor child, who was forced and pinned to the pavement. WPD did not conduct any investigatory work or verify ICE credentials before intervening, an egregious failure highlighting the need for a clear policy and exposing City Manager Batista’s failure to engage with the community and local law enforcement to enact meaningful change.

Misdemeanor offenses should not require a WPD SWAT team to “assist” in the detention of an unarmed mother. Merriam-Webster defines “assist” as “to give usually supplementary support or aid to.” The issue remains whether WPD was there to support or aid the residents of this community or federal law enforcement. On May 16th, 2025, the City Manager issued an executive order outlining a weak, ineffective “policy” supposedly to address this and “limit” police cooperation with ICE. The Eureka Street event was solely caused by the City Manager’s lack of foresight and proactive policy.

At the May 19th, 2025, HRC meeting, Worcester witnessed a clear attempt to undermine the commission’s independence. The City Manager unilaterally removed two commissioners focused on police accountability and replaced them with his newly appointed WPD Chaplain. This move, made just before a critical meeting with the WPD, gives the appearance of silencing dissent and redirecting the commission’s work. The WPD Chaplain’s defense of harmful policing practices by pivoting to identity politics, rather than addressing systemic issues or supporting community healing, highlights an alignment with the City Manager’s unstated agenda. This action by the City Manager reflects poor judgment, ignores a conflict of interest, and displays an effort to block calls for a citizen review board.

Our City Manager is creating a police state through his actions. His May 20th, 2025, public announcement severely restricts access to City Hall and services, requiring all visitors, regardless of purpose, to sign in after passing through undisclosed screening technology. Security Compliance Officers, now branded Worcester Municipal Security, will handle screening, patrols, and incident response, yet no executive order, training standards, or oversight details have been provided. Public entry is limited to the Main St entrance, with the municipal garage off-limits. These restrictions undermine transparency, access to justice, and public participation, core principles of democracy the City Manager is actively choosing to violate.

Residents should not feel compelled to write to City Hall to admonish the WPD or the City Manager's behavior. The City Manager should not need reminding that he reports to the 200,000+ diverse residents of Worcester, not to the WPD and its 400 employees. The question now becomes whether the City Manager is compelled by the concerns of Worcester's residents or whether he is acting as an agent of the WPD and/or recent federal administrative policy.

We are calling for a vote for immediate resignation, removal, suspension, and/or vote of no confidence by the City Council regarding the City Manager, Eric Batista, for failing to remediate immediate and future harm to the residents of the City of Worcester.