of Holyoke Police Chief Manny Febo fact-checks allegations in suspended The stolen vehicle was later recovered in Hartford, CT and one of the vests and some K9 gear was recovered. That decision was made after aHolyoke police officer publicly alleged corruptionwithin the HPD and aDaily Hampshire Gazetteinvestigation found whatsome characterized as excessive overtimein the department, including among some of its highest-paid officers. 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. (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. Last August, Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia hired the New Hampshire-based consulting firm Municipal Resources, Inc., to audit the city's police department. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Mayor Alex Morse said in a statement that he could not comment on a personnel matter. 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. 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. Police misconduct: Discipline records for thousands of cops uncovered "I'll probably lose my job, but I'm good. Read about what we do with the data we gather in our Privacy Policy. Mr. 'Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca alleges there iscorruption and racism in the Holyoke Police Department. 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. "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. Roca said a police captain called him about a day after he posted the video. HOLYOKE, Mass. He said cities would have to go all in to train civilians to do that work. Holyoke police officer suspended after alleging corruption 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. 15 Massachusetts law enforcement officers suspended by reform commission Thats according to William Terrill, a professor at Arizona State University's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. 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. 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. The HPDs top brass did not respond to numerous requests for comment on this story. Advocates call for more police oversight after WBUR investigation, Mass. 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. 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. Now, he said, one of his sons was on pain medication because of the force Romero used to arrest him. Similarrecords from the Northampton Police Department, for example, show that of the 90 times an officer faced a civilian complaint from 2010 and 2020, department superiors only disciplined officers nine times. "whether the employee has been guilty of substantial misconduct which adversely affects the public interest by impairing the efficiency of public service." School Comm. 'Innocent bystander' killed in shooting at Holyoke Mall, one suspect in Suspected. Terrill said that often, complaints arent sustained because civilians have a misperception about what is, and isnt, a violation of department policy. He was suspended for violating the departments social media policy, which prohibits officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. Holyoke CO Police Brutality Lawyers - Police Brutality Lawyers Play all audios: Loading. 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.. Holyoke Police Department | Holyoke MA OSHA, cannabis company reach $14k settlement in Holyoke worker's death . 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. There was no set up.. And thats the ultimate way of holding police accountable from the commissions perspective.. And he said that when he would leave the station during those three weeks, police would pull his car over. They would just tell me to just stop doing what I was doing, its not going to go nowhere, its only going to cause me more hardships and problems, Concepcion said. 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. Murphy reportedly said he felt no pressure to fire Roca before he left office. Beyond changing the public records law, the 2020 police reform bill also created a new state agency, thePeace Officer Standards and Training Commission, which now tracks police departments internal investigations and can conduct its own preliminary inquiries into alleged misconduct. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Get the latest news on COVID-19 delivered to you. Pictured above: thumbnail of the Youtube video posted by Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. The 69 complaints that NEPM obtained are just the ones that civilians managed to file with the HPD in the first place. Pyle represented the WorcesterTelegram & Gazettein the newspapers 2018 lawsuit against the city of Worcester over its police departments illegal withholding of misconduct records. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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. used triad trailer for sale. //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ' Buy this Image'; He also called for the FBI or the state attorney generals office to investigate the department. Holyoke Police Department | Holyoke, MA Holyoke officer suspended for viral video alleging corruption, racism //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph2'); They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system, Roca said during an interview at the time. In January, Holyoke settled the police brutality suit against the city and officers for $65,000. 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. 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. But he said other studies have found that civilian review boards have a minimal effect on accountability. Daily Hampshire Gazette. var sellablestring4 = "GAZETTE FILE PHOTO"; 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. 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. Skilled in Microsoft Word, Police Procedures, Defensive Tactics, Emergency Management, Law Enforcement, Conflict Resolution and Public Speaking. In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area. Listen Roca then went on to accuse current Holyoke Police Chief, Manny Febo, of being a corrupt police officer. Roca also took issue with the fact that a Nov. 5 hearing on his case took place at City Hall without him. Reyes the internal affairs officer found the officers actions justified and proper, and consistent with standard protocols for crash-scene response and safety. Schedule a Free Consultation Fill out your information below: Law Offices of Allyn & Ball, P.C. Israelis protest legal overhaul plans for 9th week - WWLP This followed years of battles between the mayor and City Council over control of the department and the effectiveness of a previous advisory panel, the Civilian Community Police Hearing Board. Roca said he was suspended for violating the departments social media policy, which bars officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. "Yeah, they didn't waste any time. Image courtesy by Kate Turner 21. Roca said that the department is rife with racism. Because Roca has filed an appeal, the state Civil Service Commission will now determine whether his discipline will stand. One person sent to hospital after car crash in Holyoke MASSACHUSETTS-In early March, two police sergeants were suspended without pay for speaking with a reporter about mismanagement, corruption and racism within the Holyoke Police Department, and for providing him with internal documents. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. I am a Latino. Holyoke Police Officer Rafael Roca Fired Over Video Accusing Department Nobody should get away with taking the law into their own hands and being above it, he said. var sellablestring2 = "STAFF PHOTO"; . He also mentioned that he was fired right before Joshua Garcia was sworn in as Holyokes mayor on Monday. 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. Based on the report, Police Chief David Pratt suspended Roca for five days and recommended that the citys mayor terminate him. Daily Hampshire Gazette Contests & Promotions, Daily Hampshire Gazette Evening Top Reads, Daily Hampshire Gazette Weekly Top Stories, Daily Hampshire Gazette Dining & Entertainment, Support the That is roughly 75 percent of minority officers with eight years or more in specialized assignments, he said. According to the Holyoke Fire Department, at approximately 8:30 p.m . var photocredit = "'GAZETTE FILE PHOTO' 'Holyoke police officer parks in the train station on Main Street on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. After Customers Paid Large Deposits for Home Projects, Contractor Files for Bankruptcy, How Much Snow Has Fallen in Your Area So Far, The House Where JonBenet Ramsey Was Found Dead Is Listed for Sale at Nearly $7M, FIRST ALERT: Wintry Mix Keeps Falling as Storm Hits New England (Live Radar). Holyoke Police Department killed 1 person from 2013-21. John Hart was suspended and fined for losing a department-issued sniper rifle. 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. The driver, who officers alleged smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech, turned out to be a lieutenant with the Holyoke Fire Department. What did Mayor Alex Morse do when Holyoke police beat a 12-year-old boy As of March 9, Roca has been suspended from the department due to his violation of a rule prohibiting officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. 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. He noted that he was terminated in the final days of Murphys tenure as acting mayor. | 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. And often, legal protections and collective bargaining agreements with police unions prevent those boards from interviewing officers, he added. 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.. It should be known as Corrupt City," he said in the video. If that doesn't work, move to step 2: literally shoot the messenger On Nov. 10, then acting mayor Terence Murphy followed that recommendation after a city lawyer determined there was just cause for firing Roca. //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ' Buy this Image'; 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. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. Lorna McMurrey, 27, was filling . //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ' Buy this Image'; delays new police misconduct database, Dusty Christensen, New England Public Media. holyoke police corruption - marketingepublicidadereal.com.br Good Cop Predicts His Video Exposing Crimes in Dept Will Get Him var sellablestring4 = "GAZETTE FILE PHOTO"; 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. 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. On March 7, Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca posted a video on YouTube alleging racism and corruption by the Holyoke Police Department. He said he was in the hospital due to stress from the situation. 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. I stand behind the video and what I said in it.. The city settled that lawsuit for $65,000 in 2020. 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 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. He attested that state troopers consistently call him to translate for them, as they do not have enough Spanish speakers on the force. In 1894 the New York State Senate launched the first comprehensive investigation of corruption in the NYPD. I find that the amount of force used was reasonably necessary under the circumstances, the internal investigation concluded, noting that fellow officers described Hamels initial interaction with the man as peaceful, calm and cooperative.. I want to ensure 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, he wrote. He was reelected three times, with his final term expiring in January 2022. 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.