He wrote that because the boy refused several times to place his hand behind his back so that he could be handcuffed, Officer Romero was forced to place him on the ground.. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. of Roca said that the department is rife with racism. HOLYOKE, Mass. But some will be missing, Mass. The officers on the scene denied that they had drawn their weapons and challenged the extent of the mans injuries; they said he refused to get out of the car and then reached for the center console. The chief did, however, address several of the allegations Roca made in the video. 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. He said that is because he is a proactive police officer who tries to engage in crime fighting., I was a very proactive officer, I would do my job, I tried to do traffic stops, he told the Gazette. Yeah, they didnt waste any time. ", 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? He expressed frustration that former Mayor Alex Morse did not do enough to address issues of racism during his tenure. And he said that when he would leave the station during those three weeks, police would pull his car over. 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. He said they did the same to a few teenagers in the car with him, taking one of them to the ground, putting a knee to his back and arresting him. Listen Not a single person from City Hall or city government reached out at all, he said. tag_id.innerHTML = ''; Valentin, who went on to work as a staffer for U.S. Sens. In his own time, he said that he witnessed classmates incarcerated as part of the school-to-prison pipeline.. Febo did not use any names in his statement, but addressed an incident 10 years ago where rifles were lost. Holyoke Police Department killed 1 person from 2013-21. Holyoke Massachusetts & Pennsylvania Legal Representation. var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph1'); This story has been updated to include a statement from Chief Manny Febo which he sent to the Gazette midday on Tuesday. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBHolyokePD-hg031021,ph1'); 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. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Reminders Publishing. Have you ever had a vision 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. Graduated from 36th Massachusetts Police Officer . 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 a police captain called him about a day after he posted the video. Its not clear and it doesnt exist. HOLYOKE, Mass. It was not there to help me.. program 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. In March, Roca was placed on suspension after his video, which has over 56,000 views, accused officers of false overtime pay, protecting each other from punishment after misconduct and creating a culture of racism and favoritism, especially with promotions. We reenter the clubhouse, as we go back to the pool table the brother that just received the pot starts to brag about having a brother as a Holyoke police officer and that he gets stuff like pot and can make some money that way., In its investigation, the HPD found the allegations against Monfett not sustained because there was insufficient evidence to either prove or disprove the allegation.. A newly released independent audit of the Holyoke Police Department found the HPD poses a "substantial risk" to the city it serves. Pyle told NEPM that police departments and other public agencies will continue to withhold records or slow-roll their release until lawmakers improve the states public records law, which many have criticized as one of the least transparent in the country. 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. Based on the report, Police Chief David Pratt suspended Roca for five days and recommended that the citys mayor terminate him. Because Roca has filed an appeal, the state Civil Service Commission will now determine whether his discipline will stand. Im very confident that something is going to come of it, he said. sites. 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. No probable cause, there was no weapons, there was no reason to assume there were weapons., An officer told him to shut my mouth or much more than my rights would be violated, Concepcion wrote in a complaint he later filed with the police department. "whether the employee has been guilty of substantial misconduct which adversely affects the public interest by impairing the efficiency of public service." School Comm. I already knew they were going to wait until the last minute, he told the newspaper. 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. 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 Gazettes coverage of the incident notes that officers attempted to subdue Guyette with a stun gun as he rammed into cars attempting to escape. Theyre there to protect each other, to look out for each other, and to come out with force in our community. 1 Catholic Memorial; roundup/list of scores, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking. The Holyoke Police Department is working very hard to reduce crime and impact violence in this industrious Western Massachusetts city. Skilled in Microsoft Word, Police Procedures, Defensive Tactics, Emergency Management, Law Enforcement, Conflict Resolution and Public Speaking. Last August, Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia hired the New. The handwritten log, which tracks civilian and internal complaints against officers and their conclusions, features two entries for Roca. var sellablestring4 = "GAZETTE FILE PHOTO"; Here is the list of officers: Devon Bones, Holyoke Police Department. He was also advised that he is not to respond to his own complaints while off duty., Lastly, Febo responded to Rocas claim that minority officers are not given opportunities for specialized assignments. 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.. They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system, Roca told Masslive.com on Monday. var sellablestring2 = "STAFF PHOTO"; Roca, a five-year veteran of the police force who served in the U.S. Marines before that, said he refused to remove the video upon Febos orders on Sunday. But that work hasnt fully gotten off the ground yet. 2021 Neiswanger said that a tipster found the gun in an alley, and that the mayors presence was a coincidence. "We cannot expect people to have respect for law and order until we teach respect to those we There are white people who try to make it difficult for us, make it difficult for the people who have done the right thing, make it difficult for the people who want to stand up for whats right, he said. A 2020 city report of the top 100 salaries in the city shows that, including school staff, 18 out of the top 20 highest paid city employees that year were police officers. In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area. That is roughly 75% of minority officers with 8 years or more [of experience] in specialized assignments. Febos statement added, The Holyoke Police Department has a Chief, 2 Lieutenants, and 4 Sergeants who are minority in the department command staff.. When. Former Brockton RMV manager, driving school owner charged by U.S. Attorney with giving passing test scores to people who failed, Complete Boston payroll for 2022: Your Tax Dollars at Work, Boston drug trafficker set to do 11 years in prison, give up Louis Vuitton bags, feds say, Union drive: Uber, Lyft drivers rally for right to unionize, Boston sees first open race for Suffolk Superior civil court clerk magistrate in nearly 50 years, High school tournaments: Winchester stuns No. HOLYOKE A Holyoke police officer said he has been suspended after posting a lengthy video online alleging widespread corruption and racism within the police department. That part of the commissions work has yet to materialize either. With that said, I will not be commenting on the internal personnel matter that is ongoing.. Subscribe Today, Amherst Police Chief Livingstone stepping down in May, Unions: UMass putting 100 jobs in jeopardy with privatization plan, Murdaughs fall from grace ends in life sentence for murder, Biden leaving room to change his mind on reelection. sales The mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts, has broken his silence about an NEPM investigation that revealed the city's police department almost never disciplines officers whom civilians accuse of wrongdoing. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. 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.. var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph2'); Holyoke Police Department | Holyoke MA 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. But he said other studies have found that civilian review boards have a minimal effect on accountability. 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. 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. According to the Holyoke Fire Department, at approximately 8:30 p.m . 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.. . 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. Who will be eaten first? The five-year Holyoke Police officer who posted the video, Rafael Roca, explained in the beginning, that he wanted to "expose the corruption and the lies and the injustice" he felt was taking place within the department. He alleged that later, somebody who had been arrested tipped police off to the rifles location in an effort to receive leniency in court. 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. I stand behind the video and what I said in it. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); Three of those officers claimed more than 800 overtime hours that year, and another claimed more than 1,200 hours. v. Civil Service . 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. Daily Hampshire Gazette. var sellablestring = "GAZETTE STAFF"; (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. That outcome police officers facing no discipline after a civilian alleges wrongdoing is hardly unique to Concepcions case. That is roughly 75 percent of minority officers with eight years or more in specialized assignments, he said. He said he is disappointed with how city officials reacted to his allegations. When you are someone who speaks up about injustice and about corrupt police officers, they label you as a liar, they label you as a dirty police officer, they label you as someone who is untrustworthy, he said. The city attorney suggested that under the circumstances the city was getting off easy. Howie Carr: What's so urgent in Holbrook, Mr. Speaker? All rights reserved, FIRST ALERT: Storm Hitting Greater Boston Live Radar, Updates. The HPD is not the only local department that rarely disciplines officers based on civilian complaints. Roca mentioned the incident in his video over the weekend. He said he was in the hospital due to stress from the situation. As for Roca, he said he doesnt regret posting the video or making the allegations. 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. 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.. 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.. HOLYOKE A Holyoke police officer said he has been suspended after posting a lengthy video online alleging widespread corruption and racism within the police 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. Taken from that vehicle was two ballistic vests with two magazines in the pouches, along with some K9 gear, and a first aid bag. Not one time did they respond to a call, not one time were they on the radio, he said. This video posted online by Former Holyoke Police Officer Rafael Roca may well have been lost to history and future litigants contending with the police misconduct in Western MA if it had not been rescued by the Internet Archive (which is currently fighting off a vexatious lawsuit filed by a greedy publishing monopolist lobbying group which wants to burn down the Internet's proverbial 'Library . var photocredit = "'SCREENSHOT/YOUTUBE' 'Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. Roca said he also plans to file a lawsuit over his treatment. Holyoke police officer parks in the train station on Main Street on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. In a legal opinion sent to Murphy, which Roca provided to the Gazette, Assistant City Solicitor Kathleen Degnan said that Rocas public statements were not protected by the First Amendment, and therefore the police chiefs order for him to remove the video was lawful. var sellablestring2 = "STAFF PHOTO"; Project Advances, What Happened to the Money?' Concepcion is not the first to allege that the HPD resisted taking his complaint. The report, which Roca shared with the Gazette, was completed on July 2. In January, Holyoke settled the police brutality suit against the city and officers for $65,000. They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system, Roca said during an interview at the time. During the mayoral campaign, Garcias opponent, At-large City Councilor Michael Sullivan, responded to the Gazettes reporting by calling for an audit of the police departments handling of state and federal grant programs, calling the use of overtime excessive. Garcia responded to say that he, too, would support an audit. 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. var sellablestring3 = "STAFF FILE PHOTO"; 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. He said minority candidates get passed over for top positions, as detectives or supervisors. The driver, who officers alleged smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech, turned out to be a lieutenant with the Holyoke Fire Department. Murphy didnt have to answer to anybody. 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. Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca alleges there iscorruption and racism in the Holyoke Police Department. Roca, however, claimed that somebody stole the gun from Harts house during a party. 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. Academic studies have shown its fairly common for police departments to sustain a small percentage of civilian complaints. 'Officer shuffle': Some ousted cops find jobs at new departments in Mass. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. In 2018, a man alleged that school resource officer Melvis Romero abused his authority when he threw the mans son to the ground during the school day and arrested him, injuring his neck and shoulders in the process. 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. var sellablestring4 = "GAZETTE FILE PHOTO"; Ernest Fontaine, Fitchburg State . 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 OSHA, cannabis company reach $14k settlement in Holyoke worker's death . I think the challenge with that is in most jurisdictions that have a civilian review board or some version of that, its very rare for that board to have investigatory powers, Terrill said. (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 . delays new police misconduct database, Dusty Christensen, New England Public Media. Concepcion, who alleged that police unjustifiably yanked him out of his car at gunpoint in 2016, said he attempted to file a complaint against the officers that day, but police at the station told him they had no complaint forms on hand. In other words, having the power to question the suspect, having the power to question the officer.. var sellablestring4 = "GAZETTE FILE PHOTO"; When presented with NEPMs findings, Maldonado Velez said the lack of discipline resulting from civilian complaints is just not surprising and not unique to Holyoke. }. Cannabis company Trulieve will pay $14,502 after reaching a settlement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration over the death of an employee who worked at Trulieve's Holyoke cultivation site. 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 . 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. //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ''; Daily Hampshire Gazette Contests & Promotions, Daily Hampshire Gazette Evening Top Reads, Daily Hampshire Gazette Weekly Top Stories, Daily Hampshire Gazette Dining & Entertainment, Support the 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. If you go behind the curtain of law enforcement, oftentimes youll hear officers say the surest way not to get a complaint is not to interact with the public, he said. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. His video, posted Sunday, has been viewed 27,000 times. The benefits of learning to play READ THE REST. He also called for the FBI or the state attorney generals office to investigate the department. Mr. Some complaints involve allegations that police officers broke the law. Some people who filed a complaint with the HPD said that officers actions impacted their lives long after the alleged misconduct took place. Roca also suggests the state attorney general or the FBI should look into his claims against Febo and the department. Nobody should get away with taking the law into their own hands and being above it, he said. Manuel Febo, a Holyoke native who grew up in the. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Roca said he has received support from former co-workers who are scared to speak out and from many others in the city. They kept trying to use the grabbing of the genitals to kind of quiet me down as a form of punishment and pain, Concepcion said. 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. Suspected. '"; designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. There was no set up.. Read the rules you agree to by using this website in our Terms One of our detectives who is assigned to a task force had his task force vehicle broken into, he said. They pick and choose who they want to discipline and who they dont want to discipline.. 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 already knew they were going to wait until the last minute, he said. He said: The chief saw your video and hes ordering you to take it down, Roca said. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. As of 2019, the estimated population was 40,117. 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. I stand behind the video and what I said in it.. Rafael Roca, 37,. Isaac Holyoke, director of communications at CleanSpark, said the shift made it easier for employees to communicate with each other and that employees value "autonomy and flexibility." "People are used to being at home when they can go on business when they need to, and we have kept that culture here in the office," Holyoke said.

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