}. sites. Roca said that he has only received one formal and one informal complaint during his five years on the force a claim that appears to be corroborated by an internal affairs log the Gazette has obtained through a public records request. v. Civil Service . Roca said that as a result, supervisors have given him a bad image that has influenced others in the department. The police reform bill also required police departments to turn over data on their internal investigations to the commission, which pledged to make that information public last spring. When he declined to do so, Roca said he was suspended with pay for failure to obey a direct order on my day off and for violating their social media policy., It goes to show that theyre dirty and they want to cover up the stuff that they do, Roca told the Gazette. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Despite the high Puerto Rican population in Holyoke, Roca said there are not enough police officers from the community. Nine of those 12 are in specialized assignments other than patrol operations. In the almost 45-minute video, Roca recounted favoritism, covering up lost and stolen weapons and other instances of corruption. If youre in the police department, you have to obey orders.. Holyoke Police Department Friday: 03/25/2022 Juvenile (16) from Springfield is charged with: Possession of Class A Possession of Class A to Distribute Possession of Ammunition without a FID. TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated Saturday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's contentious plan to overhaul the country's legal system, as the governm used triad trailer for sale. The report, which Roca shared with the Gazette, was completed on July 2. Roca had argued that the citys social media policy illegally infringed on his First Amendment rights, and that his statements were true and therefore were not defamatory. 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 . A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected the youngest mayor of Holyoke at age 22. Instead of arresting the driver, Monsalve, one of a number of officers who responded, decided to park the drivers car and give him a ride back home. Febo did not use any names in his statement, but addressed an incident 10 years ago where rifles were lost. Another was accused of sexual assault while he was off duty. Roca said the straw that broke the camels back and resulted in him posting the video was a call from a coworker he received the day the video was posted, March 7. The comments are concerning, erroneous, harmful, but most importantly divisive, Capt. 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. Early on in his tenure with the department, Roca was called to testify in an appeal hearing before the state Civil Service Commission over the suspension of a superior, Sgt. Thats what police was for. Roca said Monday that he wasnt surprised to have been fired, though he said he was disappointed that no city, state or federal authorities fully investigated his allegations. At issue in Rocas case was whether he disobeyed a legal order from a superior, brought the Holyoke Police Department into disrepute with his statements, violated policy by posting to social media without permission from the police chief, and made public criticism that was defamatory. He added, I want to [assure] the citizens of Holyoke that they can continue to have confidence in the men and women of the Holyoke Police Department and the great work that they do every day.. Neiswanger said that a tipster found the gun in an alley, and that the mayors presence was a coincidence. Murphy reportedly said he felt no pressure to fire Roca before he left office. The investigating officers found that Roca had violated four department policies: failing to comply with an order to take his video down, unbecoming conduct, criticism of the department and social media rules. Now, he said, one of his sons was on pain medication because of the force Romero used to arrest him. 2021
Within the department, he said he had been shamed. and affiliate links. He went on to say that he felt as though he would either be fired or suspended for posting the 45-minute long video. I am a Latino. All rights reserved (About Us). If you need to reach our office by phone, contact us at 413-538-7118. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring2) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring3) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring4) > -1) { He said he felt as though for too long officers have been afraid to speak up and wanted this to change. Others, he added, have managed to escape from serious instances of misconduct without any disciplinary action. Police Capt. When the state Legislature passed its police reform bill, state Senate President Karen E. Spilka, D-Ashland, described the legislation as a necessary first step towards achieving systemic change through law enforcement accountability and transparency.. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. Roca responded saying he already appealed the decision to the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission. Boing Boing uses cookies and analytics trackers, and is supported by advertising, merchandise Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. . Pratt said that Roca can still present his case to the Civil Service Commission. var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph1'); 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. AMHERST Amherst Police Chief Scott Livingstone will retire in May after nearly 14 years leading a department he joined upon graduating from AMHERST Unions at the University of Massachusetts are contending that more than 100 state jobs, and their accompanying benefits, are being WALTERBORO, S.C. One of the last pieces of a legal dynasty that doled out justice in rural South Carolina for decades crumbled Friday as lawyer WASHINGTON President Joe Biden exudes confidence as the next race for the White House approaches.During last months State of the Union address Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca alleges there iscorruption and racism in the Holyoke Police Department. It goes back as long as anyone can remember, he said in the video. Murphy said that Roca had been on paid leave for eight months, and that the city needed to resolve that matter. HOLYOKE Mayor Joshua Garcia announced this week that the city has hired a firm to conduct an audit of the Holyoke Police Department. Though he mentioned no names in the video, one incident Roca referred to occurred in September 2011, when police Sgt. As for Roca, he said he doesnt regret posting the video or making the allegations. var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph2'); According to the commissions decision, it had been Rocas first solo patrol in October 2016 when he pulled over a driver who had been driving down the street in the opposite direction. 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.. The work of setting up a review board is difficult and time-intensive, Terrill said. The Gazettes coverage of the incident notes that officers attempted to subdue Guyette with a stun gun as he rammed into cars attempting to escape. Yeah they didnt waste any time. One is a female who is being trained to investigate sensitive crimes involving children, females and domestic violence. Instead of being a man and admitting he made a mistake about seeing me with a firearm, he chose to remain silent and never appeared in court.. But critics have described that body as toothless. ", He calls outgoing Police Chief Manny Febo "corrupt," contending minorities are routinely passed over for upper-tier assignments and disciplined at higher rates. 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.. tag_id.innerHTML = ''; 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. Now that Roca has filed an appeal, the Civil Service Commission will decide whether the termination holds up. Taken from that vehicle was two ballistic vests with two magazines in the pouches, along with some K9 gear, and a first aid bag. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. Published: 11/16/2021 9:42:49 PM HOLYOKE Last week, the city's acting mayor fired a police officer who earlier this year posted a viral video on social media alleging corruption and. Febo said a detectives vehicle was broken into and taken from that vehicle was 2 ballistic vests with 2 magazines in the pouches, along with some K9 gear, and a first aid bag. Some, but not all, of those items were later found in a vehicle stolen from Granby that was recovered in Hartford, according to Febo. 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. Pyle represented the WorcesterTelegram & Gazettein the newspapers 2018 lawsuit against the city of Worcester over its police departments illegal withholding of misconduct records. All rights reserved, FIRST ALERT: Storm Hitting Greater Boston Live Radar, Updates. (WWLP) - The Holyoke Fire Department was sent to Hampshire and Maple Streets for a car accident on Friday. Matthew Moriarty, who handles communications for the department, all failed to answer numerous email and phone messages. 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. Pictured above: thumbnail of the Youtube video posted by Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. How do cops view themselves and their work? The city of Holyoke is not alone in resisting transparency, and I think thats the only way to describe an 18-month delay in providing access to records that clearly were public, said Jeffrey Pyle, an attorney with the firm Prince Lobel Tye LLP who specializes in media and First Amendment law. | Danielle Eatondeaton@thereminder.com, 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. On December 24, 2015 and January 25, 2016, HRD, at the request of the City, sent Bryan Custadio, Fall River Police Department. In an interview, POST Commission Executive Director Enrique Zuniga said the agencys investigations will eventually come before the full commission, which can go so far as to decertify officers found to have violated state standards a career-ending type of decision, Zuniga said. }. He also made the case that his statements were on matters of public concern; a Holyoke Police Department rule bars criticism of the department except on matters of public concern.. Boing Boing is published under a Creative Commons He said: The chief saw your video and hes ordering you to take it down, Roca said. Asked on Monday what he thinks will happen to him after he spoke out against the department and other officers, Roca said he expects to be fired a possibility he mentioned in his video. That is roughly 53 percent of non-minority officers with eight years or more who are assigned to specialized assignments., Additional he said there were 38 officers total with six years or less of full-time experience, Of those 38, 17 are minority officers. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. Ultimately, police found the weapon in February 2012 while Morse was riding along with officers on duty. She testified she complained about her sons beating, was assured the matter was being investigated but was never instructed on what other steps she could take to formally complain against police.. They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system, Roca told Masslive.com on Monday. The city attorney suggested that under the circumstances the city was getting off easy. School Holyoke Community College; Course Title ENGLISH 1301; Type. 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. 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. NEPM also obtained a handwritten log tracking all 156 investigations of its own officers the department conducted during those 10 years, including those initiated not by civilian complaints but by superior officers. He was deployed to Bosnia from 2003-2004 where he worked with anti-corruption and security forces. At the time, Roca told the commission that he had told Monsalve he was OK with the driver being placed in protective custody instead of being arrested because he did not view it as his decision.. Current Police Chief David Pratt suspended Roca in March and then recommended that the mayor terminate Roca. Hed be gone by then.. The HPD is not the only local department that rarely disciplines officers based on civilian complaints. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Daily Hampshire Gazette Contests & Promotions, Daily Hampshire Gazette Evening Top Reads, Daily Hampshire Gazette Weekly Top Stories, Daily Hampshire Gazette Dining & Entertainment, Support the
Read the rules you agree to by using this website in our Terms In an interview last week, Garcia said he planned to follow through with an assessment of the police department, later adding: This is not an investigation, its an assessment.. HOLYOKE - A Holyoke police officer recently released a YouTube video accusing the Holyoke Police Department of corruption. HOLYOKE, Mass. The classic response to demonstrated police corruption Step 1: Shoot the messenger. Carla Sinclair 11:00 am Tue Mar 9, 2021. In 2016, Irving Concepcion says the Holyoke police pulled him over with their guns drawn, yanked him out of his car and slammed him down on the hood. "I'll probably lose my job, but I'm good. //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ''; Holyoke St. Patrick's Committee holds 67th Grand Video / Feb 18, 2023 / 10:41 PM EST The 70th annual Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade is now nearly a month away and at the Log Cabin Saturday . He said he was in the hospital due to stress from the situation. In his internal report on the incident, HPDs internal affairs officer, Manuel Reyes, said police pulled over Concepcion for a traffic violation. He alleged that later, somebody who had been arrested tipped police off to the rifles location in an effort to receive leniency in court. And thats the ultimate way of holding police accountable from the commissions perspective.. var photocredit = "'Screenshot from YouTube.' In court filings, Pagans lawyer called the HPDs process of reviewing civilian complaints baroque, pointing to the fact that James Neiswanger, who was the police chief at the time, said in a deposition that before complaints were investigated, an administrator reviewed them to determine if they had merit., Hernandez Pagan attempted to file a complaint, the lawsuit alleged. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Tagged: Holyoke, Rafael Roca, Holyoke Police Department, Manny Febo, YouTube, Ella White, Pioneer Valley, Italian professors departure would mean end of Italian major and minor programs, Students mobilize against the rise in tuition costs/tuition increase, Holyoke police officer suspended after alleging corruption. He also called for the FBI or the state attorney generals office to investigate the department. 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). Roca claimed that Manny Febo, the first Latinx police chief in Holyoke, has targeted him and other employees by refusing them positions and recognition for their work. I stand behind the video and what I said in it.. 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. Myrick was originally elected when he 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. For those reasons, Reyes cleared the officers of violating department policies. It was originally published by New England Public Media. Concepcion is not the first to allege that the HPD resisted taking his complaint. 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. 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 it down and will probably lose his job. Reyes ultimately exonerated Romero. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); Holyoke police officers arrived at the mall just before 7:00 p.m. for a report of shots fired. Of the remaining 34 non-minority officers in this group, 18 are in a specialized assignment. But now he finds out if he will be charged with misdemeanor furnishing of alcohol and reckless endangerment of a. [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 . I said Im sorry but, respectfully, I refuse to take it down.. 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. Its a problem within our commonwealth and it will continue to be a problem until we have an administrative agency that has teeth, that has enforcement power, that can punish municipalities and agencies when they withhold records improperly, Pyle said. On March 7, Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca posted a video on YouTube alleging racism and corruption by the Holyoke Police Department. license except where otherwise noted. March 15,
The benefits of learning to play READ THE REST. The Holyoke Police Department has a chief, two lieutenants and four sergeants who are minority in the department command staff., Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. Not one time did they respond to a call, not one time were they on the radio, he said. tag_id.innerHTML = ''; And often, legal protections and collective bargaining agreements with police unions prevent those boards from interviewing officers, he added. It took the HPD more than a year and a half to turn over its 69 internal investigations, all of which the department redacted to remove information about the person alleging misconduct. 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. Advocates call for more police oversight after WBUR investigation, Mass. In an interview with the Republican, Febo disputed Rocas claims. var sellablestring2 = "STAFF PHOTO"; The incident was fully investigated by previous chief, discipline meted out, and every step was reported publicly at that time, he wrote. Daily Hampshire Gazette. He said cities would have to go all in to train civilians to do that work. Twelve of the 46 patrolmen with eight years or more of experience are part of a minority group, and nine of them have specialized positions, Febo wrote. The handwritten log, which tracks civilian and internal complaints against officers and their conclusions, features two entries for Roca. It was not there to help me.. NEPM also contacted all of the police officers mentioned in this story via email or phone. Months later, on Nov. 10, then acting mayor Terence Murphy followed Pratts recommendation, firing Roca after a city lawyer determined that there was just cause, the Gazette reported. Some people who filed a complaint with the HPD said that officers actions impacted their lives long after the alleged misconduct took place. This story has been updated to include a statement from Chief Manny Febo which he sent to the Gazette midday on Tuesday. Officers have. Officer Leahy made up a substantial portion of his report, the man wrote. HOLYOKE, Mass. Last year, a judge ruled in favor of the newspaper and ordered the city to pay $5,000 in punitive damages and $100,000 in legal fees. Roca also claimed in his video that recently, a police officer had his car stolen with guns and equipment inside. He alleged that the car was found in Hartford, but the guns and equipment were missing. Roca said that the department is rife with racism. The chief did, however, address several of the allegations Roca made in the video. SCREENSHOT/YOUTUBE var sellablestring4 = "GAZETTE FILE PHOTO"; On March 7, Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca posted a video on YouTube alleging racism and corruption by the Holyoke Police Department. 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. Because Roca has filed an appeal, the state Civil Service Commission will now determine whether his discipline will stand. Roca also took issue with the fact that a Nov. 5 hearing on his case took place at City Hall without him. Roca had been with the department since 2015. Roca said he has already appealed that decision to the states Civil Service Commission. That part of the commissions work has yet to materialize either. The youths, Reyes report alleged, were Blood gang members who were under surveillance for their possible involvement in a shooting involving a school bus on the previous day. He said the cars possibly armed occupants made furtive movements and refused to show their hands, and that the officers on scene denied making the remarks Concepcion alleged. He said when he spoke out against the alleged injustice, racism and favoritism and nepotism that he had witnessed, he was punished and shunned. Roca said his attempts to transfer to a different police department were allegedly sabotaged by the chief, and cited a single informal complaint made against him that he said ended with no investigation and him working in an administrative role for more than a month. sales (AP) 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 it down and will probably lose his job. 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. Roca said he retired from the U.S. Marines after a lengthy career in 2016 and pursued his lifelong dream of being a police officer. Roca said he was suspended for violating the departments social media policy, which bars officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. 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. He was suspended for violating the departments social media policy, which prohibits officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. The other officer was chosen specifically due to his extensive knowledge and expertise in firearms, he is assigned to the ATF task force, he said. AMHERST Amherst Police Chief Scott Livingstone will retire in May after nearly 14 years leading a department he joined upon graduating from AMHERST Unions at the University of Massachusetts are contending that more than 100 state jobs, and their accompanying benefits, are being WALTERBORO, S.C. One of the last pieces of a legal dynasty that doled out justice in rural South Carolina for decades crumbled Friday as lawyer WASHINGTON President Joe Biden exudes confidence as the next race for the White House approaches.During last months State of the Union address Holyoke police officer parks in the train station on Main Street on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Service, a Creative Commons Febo said that Roca misportrayed some examples of lost or stolen weapons. 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Becoming a police officer was his "life long dream" but that dream was "quickly affected" and "hurt" by the corruption and racism of police officers, which "goes back to as long as anyone can remember. '"; Murphy didnt have to answer to anybody. For those reasons, Reyes cleared the officers of violating department policies. Jorge Monsalve. Not to stop anyone., Terrill said the best practice is to allow civilians to file complaints against officers in multiple venues in-person oronline, like the POST Commission now allows on its website and to be able to do so anonymously. Contained within the civilian complaints against HPD officers are allegations ranging from the mundane to the criminal, including accusations that officers violently beat suspects, swore at civilians, used racial slurs, fabricated charges and abused their power. In response to a public records request, the HPD has now turned over the 69 investigations it conducted from 2010 through 2019 into civilian complaints.