How do cops view themselves and their work? Roca also alleged that he has been the subject of retaliation for speaking out about misconduct in the department. var currentLocation = window.location; They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system, Roca toldMasslive.comon Monday. . 'Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca alleges there iscorruption and racism in the Holyoke Police Department. The Holyoke Police Department is working very hard to reduce crime and impact violence in this industrious Western Massachusetts city. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Febo responded with a statement that noted that, of the total 29 minority officers on the force, there are roughly 75 [percent] of minority officers with [eight] years [of experience] or more who focus on specialized assignments. Of non-minority police officers with eight years or more of experience, 53 percent focus on specialized assignments, according to Febo. Growing up Puerto Rican in the Flats neighborhood of Holyoke one of the citys majority-Hispanic lower wards Maldonado Velez said he heard plenty of stories from those whom that system harmed. 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.. var sellablestring3 = "STAFF FILE PHOTO"; (WWLP) - Holyoke's Chief of Police responded to the allegations of corruption within the department, made by an officer in a widely-circulated YouTube video. Notes. That transparency has been slow to arrive, however. I stand behind the video and what I said in it.. 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. Amid Pandemic, Boston Loses Title as Country's Worst City for Traffic, Biden Hopes to Boost Offshore Wind as Mass. Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca alleges there iscorruption and racism in the Holyoke Police Department. 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.. Daily Hampshire Gazette. Service, a Creative Commons HOLYOKE Two days after a Holyoke Police Officer posted a viral YouTube video accusing his own department of corruption and racism, Police Chief Manny Febo has clapped back. That second entry likely relates to an incident in 2017 when Roca fired his gun at a Leeds resident, Dan Guyette, who led officers on a high-speed chase through Holyoke before crashing into parked cars. Two of the civilian complaints that NEPM obtained alleged that police violently arrested students in the citys schools. 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. The HPDs top brass did not respond to numerous requests for comment on this story. In his video, Roca references alleged abuse of overtime pay. Hed be gone by then.. We dont have that today.. Nine of those 12 are in specialized assignments other than patrol operations. //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ''; Roca was suspended with pay Tuesday as Holyoke police pursue an internal investigation, he said. 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. The suspected shooter is in custody. The comments are concerning, erroneous, harmful, but most importantly divisive, Capt. 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. 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. 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. After nearly a year, Reyes closed the departments investigation of the incident, saying he was unable to reach the man who complained. 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. Uploaded By Greenpalace1. Roca said he did speak to both the attorney generals office and FBI at the same time, but that there was no subsequent follow-up from them. 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.. Roca also told the newspaper he plans to file a lawsuit over how he was treated. Febo did not use any names in his statement, but addressed an incident 10 years ago where rifles were lost. Hed be gone by then.. For this reason, the Holyoke Police department will have no further comment regarding Mr. Roca or his Case.. They pick and choose who they want to discipline and who they dont want to discipline.. 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. 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. Valentin, who went on to work as a staffer for U.S. Sens. 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. But that work hasnt fully gotten off the ground yet. Ernest Fontaine, Fitchburg State . In his internal report on the incident, HPDs internal affairs officer, Manuel Reyes, said police pulled over Concepcion for a traffic violation. Murphy didnt have to answer to anybody. 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. 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. I think it just really supports the theory of nothing is going to happen, nothing is going to change, she said. HOLYOKE, Mass. But now he finds out if he will be charged with misdemeanor furnishing of alcohol and reckless endangerment of a. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The police are policing themselves., Maldonado Velez is not the first city councilor who has come under fire from Holyokes police unions. Previously, police departments were able to argue that those documents were personnel records, which are typically exempt from disclosure under the law. Whether its now or later, well see.. In other words, having the power to question the suspect, having the power to question the officer.. If you need to reach our office by phone, contact us at 413-538-7118. They label you a liar, he said. They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system, Roca told Masslive.com on Monday. 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. 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 went on to say that he felt as though he would either be fired or suspended for posting the 45-minute long video. 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.. 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 . 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. When told of NEPMs findings that only three officers had civilian complaints sustained against them over a decade, Valentin said shes not surprised. Roca responded saying he already appealed the decision to the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission. All rights reserved (About Us). I kept yelling that they were violating our rights and they continued to search my vehicle against my will. 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.. Thats according to William Terrill, a professor at Arizona State University's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Consultoria de Marketing e Publicidade holyoke police corruption. In 2017, for example, a civilian accused Holyoke police officer Patrick Leahy of putting him through hell for almost a year.. Terrill said that often, complaints arent sustained because civilians have a misperception about what is, and isnt, a violation of department policy. When you speak up and when you expose corruption, thats what they do. The man, whose name the department redacted, said Leahy accused him of raising a handgun as he crossed the street in front of Leahys cruiser. Because Roca has filed an appeal, the state Civil Service Commission will now determine whether his discipline will stand. Reyes ultimately exonerated Romero. In August, the city of Holyoke hired a firm to audit its police department, including its internal affairs processes. Academic studies have shown its fairly common for police departments to sustain a small percentage of civilian complaints. Because when you speak up and you expose corruption, he said in the video, thats what they do.. (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. Thats what police was for. Alex Benjamin Morse (born January 29, 1989) is an American politician who served as the 44th mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts from 2012 to 2021. 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 . On March 7, Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca posted a video on YouTube alleging racism and corruption by the Holyoke Police Department. Febo, according to Roca, allegedly promoted a friend to the position of provisional lieutenant. Murphy said that Roca had been on paid leave for eight months, and that the city needed to resolve that matter. The stolen vehicle was later recovered in Hartford, CT and one of the vests and some K9 gear was recovered.

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