By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• The Worcester (Mass.) Police Department is about 58 officers below full staffing and could lose 50 – 60 more to retirement later in 2026, Police Chief Paul Saucier told city officials.
• The chief described the shortfall as entering a “state of real crisis” as retirements, disability leave and military deployments reduce the force’s size.
• The department’s roughly 400 sworn officers have seen low crime rates but limited capacity for traffic enforcement and specialized units, Saucier said.
• Recruitment challenges include long training timelines and difficulty attracting candidates, prompting efforts such as lateral hiring and civil service eligibility changes.
WORCESTER, MA — The Worcester Police Department is facing significant staffing shortfalls that Police Chief Paul Saucier described this week as entering a “state of real crisis,” city officials said.
Nicole Simmons/TNS
Saucier told the Worcester City Council that the department is about 58 officers below authorized strength and could see up to 60 more officers retire with benefits later this year, compounding the shortfall.
Despite reporting some of the lowest homicide and violent crime rates in decades for 2025, the reduced workforce has strained patrol operations, including traffic enforcement and investigative units like the gun intelligence team.
Officials attributed the staffing gap to retirements, long-term disability leaves and officers on military deployment, and noted that recruitment remains challenging for the department.
Saucier outlined recruitment strategies to address shortages, including tapping into the state civil service database for trained officers and pursuing changes to age eligibility for new recruits, but said training pipelines take time to replenish the workforce.
City councilors expressed concern that continued departures without sufficient replacements could further limit enforcement capabilities and response capacity.