In 2014, Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Captain Dale Smack was implicated in retaliating against a Black police officer, Franklin Savage, who complained of racial harassment by members of a joint drug enforcement team. A federal civil rights lawsuit alleged that Smack, then the sheriff’s second-in-command, ordered deputies not to assist Officer Savage or another Black officer on calls, effectively denying them backup and K-9 support. These actions were part of a broader pattern of discrimination outlined in the lawsuit. Worcester County ultimately agreed to a $1.2 million settlement in 2020 and entered a consent decree to address the civil rights violations.
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