How to get Public Records From Worcester
This script built after years of them jerking me around
Two ways to file.
Email the public records officer - VigneuxM@worcesterma.gov
Create an account and use the portal on the city website
Disclaimer: The Worcester Public Records Department can assign priority levels to requests, and using this script will likely get you added to their shit list. I strongly recommend creating an anonymous account in the web portal to file these.
I will share my scripts for appealing to the state supervisor of records if they do not comply with the public records law and provide them in a timely manner. Either way, they will likely delay it 15 days but this script in conjunction with those may prevent them from
Indefinitely ignoring requests
Pretending they can’t find the record because of their search fields, or searching verbatim for things requests that are too specific
Combining records to charge a fee when they could not individually
Obfuscating which records include written reports and which are purely bodyworn footage
Charging based on the duration of footage, rather than redaction labor
Releasing records through social media or a WB Mason boxes without citing redaction or providing time stamped correspondence
Pursuant to Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 4, Sec. 7, cl. 26; ch. 66, Secs. 1 to 18, I am writing to request access to and a copy of records from the city of Worcester regarding
Department, Name of anyone involved, Officer Name, badge number, vehicle number, any information to help them identify the record
Date - Timeframe - Location
This record is in the public interest because it includes interactions between a city employee and Worcester residents in a public space in the course of their employment by the city of Worcester, and shows the practices and procedures of our municipal government.
Please provide any responsive footage starting at the moment the officer enables their bodyworn camera, and ending when they disable it, and any records in complete form without excluding any pages. If any redactions are required by law, please cite the legal explanation for any editing performed prior to providing the responsive records when providing them.
In determination SPR25/0952 issued April 23, 2025 regarding an appeal of the reasonableness of the fee estimate where the city refused to clarify why the Worcester Public Records department requires three minutes per minute of video to search, review and redact the responsive records the City was instructed that it must provide details regarding the contents of the records and why it would take three minute to review each minute of footage. Additionally, under the Public Records Law, a fee may not be assessed for time spent segregating or redacting records unless such segregation or redaction is required by law, the City must clarify if it is only assessing fees for the redactions required by law, and must provide the applicable statutes, if any. In accordance with this determination, the responsive record should be provided to the public free of charge, as it should not require more than two hours of labor from a redaction specialist due to the duration of time expected, and the public nature of this record.
Please be advised that in the state supervisor of records determinations SPR25/1338; SPR25/1340; SPR25/1341; SPR25/1347 issued May 22, 2025 the city of Worcester was advised that the Public Records Law strongly favors disclosure by creating a presumption that all governmental records are public records. G. L. c. 66, § 10A(d); 950 C.M.R. 32.03(4). “Public records” is broadly defined to include all documentary materials or data, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received by any officer or employee of any agency or municipality of the Commonwealth, unless falling within a statutory exemption. G. L. c. 4, §7(26). These state issued determinations also informed the Worcester Public Records department that It is the burden of the records custodian to demonstrate the application of an exemption in order to withhold a requested record. G. L. c. 66, § 10(b)(iv); 950 C.M.R. 32.06(3); see also Dist. Attorney for the Norfolk Dist. v. Flatley, 419 Mass. 507, 511 (1995) (custodian has the burden of establishing the applicability of an exemption). To meet the specificity requirement a custodian must not only cite an exemption, but must also state why the exemption applies to the withheld or redacted portion of the responsive record. In that determination, the City of Worcester was advised by the state supervisor of records that duty to comply with requests for records extends to those records that exist and are in the possession, custody, or control of the custodian of records at the time of the request. Please recognize that if this footage may be deleted in a regular matter, and no longer available by the time this request is processed I respectfully request the Public records department consider this request a high priority for the purposes of complying with the public records law.
If you are unable to locate responsive records due to being unable to query a form with the information provided by the general public, please see G. L. c. 66, § 10(a)(ii). that custodians are expected to use their superior knowledge of the records in their custody to assist requestors in obtaining the desired information. See 950 C.M.R. 32.04(5).
As a reminder, on November 12, 2024 the Worcester City Council unanimously voted to request City Manager Eric Batista to order his administration to fully comply with Massachusetts General Law Chapter 66, known as the Massachusetts Public Records Law. Please be further advised that in consideration of a documented pattern of practice from the city of Worcester, it's police department, and the Worcester Public records department, I am not presuming good-faith in this matter, and will appeal to the state supervisor of records on the 11th business day, or immediately appeal the substantive nature or reasonableness of fee if a response is not provided in accordance with public records law as the Worcester Public Records Department has previously been instructed to by the City Council, City Manager, and State Supervisor of Records.
It is preferable to send an electronic copy of the responses to this email, or through the city of Worcester Public Records Portal, and I would specifically like to request the city does not publish them through the City of Worcester Youtube channel as it did with the 5/8/24 incident where WPD assisted ICE on Eureka street, and would further specifically like to request the city of Worcester does not provide written documents in an unsorted unlabeled bulk box as it did in lieu of digital delivery for an unknown number of requests throughout 2024 that were collectively responded to 5/27/25.
If your agency does not maintain these public records, please let me know the government, nonprofit or commercial entity that does and include the proper custodian's name and address.
Thank you.