In this still from a video Roca posted to YouTube on March 7, 2021, Roca alleges there is corruption and racism in the Holyoke Police Department. Holyoke officer alleges corruption within, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Holyoke police officer alleges corruption within department, Many ambulances roll for excessive drinking at UMass Amhersts Blarney Blowout, Vermont bishop testifies against clergy reporting bill, All about eagle nest cameras in Massachusetts, Massachusetts charity helps save thousands of animals in need in war-torn Ukraine, 'Significant burst' of heavy snow possible for areas of Massachusetts, up to 12 inches potential in spots, Alex Murdaugh killed wife, son to buy time, prosecutor says, Boston employee payroll data shows more big-money employees than ever. Roca also took issue with the fact that a Nov. 5 hearing on his case took place at City Hall without him. Holyoke Officer Rafael Roca, a former Marine hired in 2016, said in the 43-minute video posted on YouTube that Chief Manny Febo is corrupt and plays favorites, and he argued that members of minority groups are passed over for plum assignments and that discipline is handed out selectively. And often, legal protections and collective bargaining agreements with police unions prevent those boards from interviewing officers, he added. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. For this reason, the Holyoke Police department will have no further comment regarding Mr. Roca or his Case.. I speak to citizens, I speak to former police officers, retired police officers and they all say corruption and racism has taken place within this department for as long as anyone can remember., In an interview with the Gazette, Roca said that after posting the video which had more than 27,000 views days after it was posted a police department captain called him to say that Police Chief Manny Febo was ordering him to remove the video. var sellablestring = "GAZETTE STAFF"; Degnan said in her report that she offered him the ability to participate via telephone and that she did not receive a physicians note with sufficient detail to verify that he could not participate in the hearing. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph2'); Roca also said he wasnt surprised he was fired, but expressed disappointment that no city, state or federal officials fully investigated his allegations, according to the Gazette. Reyes ultimately exonerated Romero. Holyoke Police Department | Holyoke MA var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph2'); We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising tag_id.innerHTML = ''; Each police department documented the incident and can be retrieved easily., Febo then addressed the incident in which Roca referred to an officer involving an alleged intentional boat accident. var currentheadline = document.getElementById("headline").innerText; You hear from those that came before us saying the police would kick you back down to the Flats; you couldnt be seen up above High Street, Maldonado Velez said. Holyoke Police Officer Rafael Roca Fired Over Video Accusing Department Of Corruption And Racism November 23, 2021 | No Comments Last week, Holyoke's acting mayor fired Rafael Roca, a police officer who posted a video to YouTube making allegations of corruption and racism within the Holyoke Police Department, Daily Hampshire Gazette reported. The Hampden District Attorney's Office told NEPM it was unable to confirm this report or comment on it without more information, like the name of the defendant, which was redacted from the public records response. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The police are among the very worst offenders under the current Massachusetts public records regime, even after all of the legislative progress that has been made.. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). ", Police departments in America have a lot of unnecessary military hardware, thanks to sweetheart deals between legislators and arms dealers that allow for layers of creative financial accounting as long READ THE REST, Here's how creator Johnny Damm explains the project: Can policing be reformed? Febo also issued a statement on the matter, and said while he would not be commenting on the internal personnel matter that is ongoing, he did take the opportunity to address some of the allegations and give facts., Febo said with regard to the allegation that the department covered up stolen and/or lost rifles, the incident in question took place 10 years ago and was fully investigated by [the] previous chief, discipline meted out, and every step was reported publicly at that time., Additionally Febo referenced the claim regarding a detective that had his vehicle and weapon stolen, which was covered up. Murphy reportedly said he felt no pressure to fire Roca before he left office. Later that evening, however, Roca and another officer saw the fire department lieutenant drive by in his car again at high speed. [15] Located 8 miles (13 km) north of Springfield, Holyoke is part of the Springfield Metropolitan Area, one of the two distinct metropolitan areas in Massachusetts." Story about Holyoke police beating a 12 year old Latino boy in 2014 and fallout: "Three Holyoke police officers beat a 12-year . var sellablestring2 = "STAFF PHOTO"; When told of NEPMs findings that only three officers had civilian complaints sustained against them over a decade, Valentin said shes not surprised. Get the latest news on COVID-19 delivered to you. The comments are concerning, erroneous, harmful, but most importantly divisive, Capt. It varies, obviously, from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and time to time, but generally the studies have found that the sustained rate, if you sum them all up, is usually about 10%, Terrill said. Based on the report, Police Chief David Pratt suspended Roca for five days and recommended that the citys mayor terminate him. Rafael Roca, a former US Marine who became a Holyoke, MA police officer in 2016, released this 43-minute video on Sunday exposing the corruption in his . N/A civilian complaints of police misconduct. He also called for the FBI or the state attorney generals office to investigate the department. They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system, Roca told Masslive.com on Monday. Others, he added, have managed to escape from serious instances of misconduct without any disciplinary action. list of candidates for Holyoke police officer. In 2014, the president of the patrol-officer union wrote a scathing letter to the City Council denouncing Councilors Rebecca Lisi and Jossie Valentin for marching in a Black Lives Matter protest where he said some protesters used anti-police rhetoric., Since that moment, it was very evident to me that some members of the Holyoke Police Department were not happy with me and with Rebecca, Valentin told NEPM in an interview from Puerto Rico, where she now lives. He said that he saved the state troopers life, only to be treated like a piece of crap afterward, getting turned down for a job with the state police. All rights reserved, FIRST ALERT: Storm Hitting Greater Boston Live Radar, Updates. If youre in the police department, you have to obey orders.. The city settled that lawsuit for $65,000 in 2020. I dont think the mayors office is the right place to do a criminal investigation of the police, Murphy said when asked whether the city had investigated Rocas claims. I wasnt looking for them to be on my side, but youd think if somebody was making allegations about their city they may have questions themselves.. And the department has yet to turn over a single investigation initiated by department supervisors or other agencies, which include allegations of everything from untruthfulness to an intercepted phone conversation revealing possible misconduct from the Hampden County jail, according to the HPDs log. Pictured above: thumbnail of the Youtube video posted by Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. HOLYOKE, Mass. On March 7, Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca posted a video on YouTube alleging racism and corruption by the Holyoke Police Department. It's that point in the year READ THE REST, We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Boing Boing is published under a Creative Commons In the departments investigation, police said they pulled him over for running a stop sign, then tried to tow his car after learning his license was suspended and registration revoked. I talked with two police chiefs in Minnesota about what happened when Tyre Nichols was stopped by Memphis police officers and fatally beaten last month. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); Roca has NEVER provided any credible information or documentation to substantiate his claims to the HPD, his union, the FBI, Attorney General or any other investigators that I am aware of, Pratt wrote, adding that Roca was given due process. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. | Danielle
[email protected], An officer with the Holyoke Police Deparment recently released a YouTube video, which contained allegations of corruption within the department.Reminder Publishing photo by Danielle Eaton. Among Roca's more generalized allegations, he called out the department for: a. A vehicle was stolen in Granby, Mass., that vehicle was driven by suspects who drove around and broke into parked vehicles in driveways in South Hadley. He said that Febo and others have stepped in to prevent him from getting jobs with other police departments. Holyoke police officers arrived at the mall just before 7:00 p.m. for a report of shots fired. But he said other studies have found that civilian review boards have a minimal effect on accountability. Last fall, five of the remaining six members of the board quit after they wereblocked from reviewing the police department's internal reporton the police killing of city resident Miguel Estrella. When Romero put his hand on the boys shoulder and told him to go back to his classroom, Reyes said the boy smacked the officer's hand and swore at him. I plan to fight this to the end. var sellablestring3 = "STAFF FILE PHOTO"; Reyes the internal affairs officer found the officers actions justified and proper, and consistent with standard protocols for crash-scene response and safety. A police officer says he's on paid administrative leave for refusing to take down the 43-minute video that alleges corruption within the police department in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The suspected shooter is in custody. When asked about allegations that the HPD made civilians wait in the police department to file a complaint, he described that as an old-school, tried-and-true tactic of the agencies to keep their complaint level down.. license. After nearly a year, Reyes closed the departments investigation of the incident, saying he was unable to reach the man who complained. Suspected. Of those 18 officers, eight made more than $200,000. of It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. Pages 17 Course Hero uses AI to attempt to automatically extract content from documents to surface to you and others so you can study better, e.g., in search results, to enrich docs, and more. At the time, then-Police Chief James Neiswanger said the weapon had fallen out of Harts pickup truck. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. He also mentioned that he was fired right before Joshua Garcia was sworn in as Holyokes mayor on Monday. HOLYOKE, Mass. SCREENSHOT/YOUTUBE HOLYOKE, Mass. In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area. In my view, the violation of Rule 3 of the Holyoke Police Department rules alone is just cause for the five-day suspension and termination because police officers must follow lawful orders, Degnan wrote. The Appellant left the Holyoke Police Station at approximately 11:00 p.m. and proceeded to the detail in his personal vehicle by means of Southampton Road. Joshua Garcia was sworn in as Holyokes 45th mayor on Monday. Now that Roca has filed an appeal, the Civil Service Commission will decide whether the termination holds up. Febo, who plans to retire in July, said he has nothing to hide. And I think were allowing a lot of these police departments to be above it.. He also said that academics have struggled to answer the question of whether a complaint against an officer represents a problem officer, a productive officer or some combination of the two. var sellablestring2 = "STAFF PHOTO"; Three of those officers claimed more than 800 overtime hours that year, and another claimed more than 1,200 hours. They want to send a message to other officers: Dont be like Roca, because this is exactly whats going to happen to you., Febo said in a statement released Tuesday that it is not standard practice for police departments to comment on issues that have an ongoing personnel investigation for violations of policy. In the video, Roca also alleged that department leadership has covered up the facts surrounding several instances when weapons have gone missing from the department. He said that the officer had allegedly been instructed to give him remedial training on how to apply a tourniquet. This, he said, was a result of an incident in late January in which he had responded to an incident that resulted in a stabbing and been praised by his coworkers. I think it just really supports the theory of nothing is going to happen, nothing is going to change, she said. 'Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca alleges there iscorruption and racism in the Holyoke Police Department. He said the promoted individual allegedly lost two weapons as an officer. He went on to say that one weapon had allegedly been lost and another had been stolen from the officers home, an incident which Roca claimed was covered up.. Roca responded saying he already appealed the decision to the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission. Roca had been with the department since 2015. The HPDs top brass did not respond to numerous requests for comment on this story. Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. She wrotethat she believed Rocas public statements to be untruthful and self-serving, and that he made them with the intent to defame the Holyoke Police Department.. . Out of the 92 times an officer was named in a civilian complaint, HPDs top brass only sustained, or upheld, allegations against an officer three times: a dispatcher who received a verbal warning in 2012 when she was accused of rudeness, an officer who received a verbal warning after he released a 14 year olds booking photo to the press in 2018, and another officer who received additional training in 2013 after a group of civilians accused her of swearing at them and referring to them as illegals.. I think the common response is, Why bother? she said. In 2017, for example, a civilian accused Holyoke police officer Patrick Leahy of putting him through hell for almost a year.. Position Type:Staff Full-time. Febo, who plans to retire in July, said he has nothing to hide. He says he was consistently singled out for vocalizing his opposition to the police chief, made to repeat pieces of training and attacked via email for not supporting one supervisors protest against police reform. Play all audios: Loading. OSHA, cannabis company reach $14k settlement in Holyoke worker's death . For those reasons, Reyes cleared the officers of violating department policies. In March, Rafael Roca, who had been a Holyoke police officer since 2015, posted the video to YouTube, where it has since been viewed more than 56,000 times. A Massachusetts police officer who posted a video online alleging corruption within his department says he has been placed on paid administrative leave after refusing to take. HOLYOKE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - Nearly two dozen people have been arrested following an operation in Holyoke that police said is aimed at addressing the needs of the city and its residents. They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system," Roca said on Monday,according to MassLive. He was deployed to Bosnia from 2003-2004 where he worked with anti-corruption and security forces. But now he finds out if he will be charged with misdemeanor furnishing of alcohol and reckless endangerment of a. var photocredit = "'SCREENSHOT/YOUTUBE' 'Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. He was reelected three times, with his final term expiring in January 2022. Uploaded By Greenpalace1. While on the ground, [redacted] placed his hands under him refusing to place his hands behind him forcing Officer Romero to again employ more force to force his hands behind him, Reyes wrote. The police, for me, was used as a reminder to stay in my place. Youre immediately going into this intimidating environment and youre having to go up to the desk sergeant asking for this, and then youre put on ice and made to sit there, Terrill said. In his own time, he said that he witnessed classmates incarcerated as part of the school-to-prison pipeline.. Notes. One is a female who is being trained to investigate sensitive crimes involving children, females and domestic violence. }. And in Amherst, records show that during a 12-year period, theAmherst Police Department investigated 16 civilian complaints; in only one of those cases did an officer face discipline. var photocredit = "'GAZETTE FILE PHOTO' 'Holyoke police officer parks in the train station on Main Street on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. The classic response to demonstrated police corruption Step 1: Shoot the messenger. Two officers did respond to say that department policies prohibit them from speaking to the press without permission from higher-ups. 8. Hed be gone by then.. Rafael Roca, 37,. Springfield this past year reinstituted a civilian Board of Police Commissioners to oversee the department and decide on officer discipline. Not one time did they respond to a call, not one time were they on the radio, he said. Mayor Joshua Garcia also declined to sit down for an interview with NEPM. license except where otherwise noted. Officer Rafael Roca posted a 43-minute video early Sunday morning that drew a wave of online attention after Roca accused Febo of being corrupt by looking the other way from certain officers misbehavior, while remaining intent on punishing others. var sellablestring3 = "STAFF FILE PHOTO"; So far, the commission has only suspended 19 officers statewide because they were either arrested, charged or indicted on a felony charge. HOLYOKE, Mass One person was killed during a shooting at the Holyoke Mall Saturday night, according to the Hampden County District Attorney's office. I stand by the integrity of the men and women of the Holyoke Police Department and I welcome any outside agency that would like to look into any of the alleged allegations from the video, he said in a statement. '"; "I'm here to make this video to expose the corruption, and the lies, and the injustice that is taking place within the police department in Holyoke, Massachusetts," he says at the start of the video. Leon Davis, Springfield Police Department. The agency still has not released that data because of the need to clean up and validate the massive data set, according to Zuniga. He said NEPMs reporting points to a they-against-us type of mentality and not really a serve-and-protect type mentality within the police department, and that an external, non-biased party should be investigating allegations of misconduct. Yeah, they didnt waste any time. During the debate, City Councilor Jos Maldonado Velez referred to the police as a gang., It literally is, he said in the meeting. "I'll probably lose my job, but I'm good. Thats according to William Terrill, a professor at Arizona State University's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Last week, Holyokes acting mayor fired Rafael Roca, a police officer who posted a video to YouTube making allegations of corruption and racism within the Holyoke Police Department, Daily Hampshire Gazette reported. Click here to sign up for our weekly coronavirus newsletter. I stand behind the video and what I said in it.. Last August, Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia hired the New. Holyoke Police Department killed 1 person from 2013-21. Prosecutors pressed charges against him until the day he showed up for his trial, when he said they informed him they were dropping the case. Holyoke Officer Rafael Roca, a former Marine hired in 2016, said in the 43-minute video posted on YouTube that Chief Manny Febo is "corrupt" and plays favorites, and he argued that members of minority groups are passed over for plum assignments and that discipline is handed out selectively. Moriarty, the president of the HPDs supervisors union, said at a press conference held specifically to address Maldonado Velezs comments. //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ''; When Massachusetts lawmakers passed a sweeping police reform law in late 2020, one of the bills provisions opened up law enforcement misconduct investigations to greater scrutiny under the states public records law. The complaints allege HPD officers engaged in misconduct ranging from brutality and bullying to discourtesy and dishonesty. A newly released independent audit of the Holyoke Police Department finds the HPD poses a "substantial risk" to the city it serves. Our forum rules are detailed in the Community Guidelines. Roca also alleged that he has been the subject of retaliation for speaking out about misconduct in the department. Tensions soared last fall between some Holyoke residents and the HPD amid a debate in the City Council over the departments desire to purchase the controversial gunfire-location technology ShotSpotter. Murphy said in a phone interview Monday that he felt no pressure from anyone to terminate Roca before he left office. A handful of other officers were "spoken to" or "cautioned" by their superiors for other offenses, but the records show no evidence that the officers were disciplined for those violations of department rules. The man alleged there was a problem with the arrest report Leahy later filed, saying it contained outright lies and falsehoods. He said he never had a gun and never even stepped into the street. Publicado por julho 4, 2022 idioms for being bad at something em holyoke police corruption julho 4, 2022 idioms for being bad at something em holyoke police corruption Febo addresses the allegation that minority officers are not given opportunity for specialized assignments, as Roca said in his video that minorities are underrepresented in specialized positions. Holyoke Massachusetts & Pennsylvania Legal Representation. That decision was made after a Holyoke police officer publicly alleged corruption within the HPD and a Daily Hampshire Gazette investigation found what some characterized as "excessive. "Yeah, they didn't waste any time. Listen In this still from a video Roca posted to YouTube on March 7, 2021, Roca alleges there is corruption and racism in the Holyoke Police Department. Work Schedule:Monday through Friday Department Summary & Job Purpose: The Assistant Vice President for Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator is a key leader of the College's equity and compliance work and an essential member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team centered around creating an inclusive campus community . Im very confident that something is going to come of it, he said. Roca said that the department is rife with racism. The police are policing themselves., Maldonado Velez is not the first city councilor who has come under fire from Holyokes police unions. The benefits of learning to play READ THE REST. I stand behind the video and what I said in it.. In January, Holyoke settled the police brutality suit against the city and officers for $65,000. At least 85,000 law enforcement officers across the USA have been investigated or disciplined for misconduct over the past decade, an investigation by USA TODAY Network found. Despite the high Puerto Rican population in Holyoke, Roca said there are not enough police officers from the community. Reyes, the HPD captain who oversees internal investigations, said in his final report that the boy had let his twin brother and another student back into the building after they were suspended a major breach of security because of shootings and gang activity in the community. He noted that he was terminated in the final days of Murphys tenure as acting mayor. Sgts. In fact, a year later, Valentin filed a civilian complaint against an HPD officer over his rudeness to her at the scene of a car crash involving her wife treatment Valentin alleged was related to her political stances. ", He calls out corrupt officers, including the "corrupt police chief, and he is out to get me" He also talks about the "vast misrepresentation when it comes to minority police officers. Ernest Fontaine, Fitchburg State . But for Concepcion, the man who alleged police abused their authority pulling him over in 2016, thats exactly the kind of work Holyoke and other cities should be doing. I said Im sorry but, respectfully, I refuse to take it down.. Holyoke Officer Rafael Roca, a former Marine hired in 2016, said in the 43-minute video posted on YouTube that Chief Manny Febo is corrupt and plays favorites, and he argued that members of minority groups are passed over for plum assignments and that discipline is handed out selectively. Rafael Roca, a former US Marine who became a Holyoke, MA police officer in 2016, released this 43-minute video on Sunday exposing the corruption in his department. He went on to say that he had tried to sue, tried speaking with the supervisors, Ive tried my union, Ive tried it all. Roca said he hoped that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Attorney General, along with the FBI, would open an investigation into the department. The so-called Lexow Committee revealed to the city and nation in unprecedented detail. And he said that when he would leave the station during those three weeks, police would pull his car over.