Good Cop Predicts His Video Exposing Crimes in Dept Will Get Him Febo, who plans to retire in July, said he has nothing to hide. 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. We definitely had examples of moments where we felt we were treated differently because of our activism and there was an underlying tone of retaliation.. Our forum rules are detailed in the Community Guidelines. Police Corruption Holyoke, MA : 2020PoliceBrutality - reddit 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 currentLocation = window.location; Wine Alan v City of Holyoke - Massachusetts Who will be eaten first? Thats according to William Terrill, a professor at Arizona State University's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. The handwritten log, which tracks civilian and internal complaints against officers and their conclusions, features two entries for Roca. 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 . But critics have described that body as toothless. HOLYOKE Last week, the citys acting mayor fired a police officer who earlier this year posted a viral video on social media alleging corruption and racism within the Holyoke Police Department. The HPDs top brass did not respond to numerous requests for comment on this story. What I can say is that I have full confidence in the integrity and professionalism of the Chief of Police and the men and women that make up the Holyoke Police Department, he wrote. Advocates call for more police oversight after WBUR investigation, Mass. Murphy reportedly said he felt no pressure to fire Roca before he left office. var currentLocation = window.location; 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. The attorney generals office declined to comment on Tuesday. He said cities would have to go all in to train civilians to do that work. He said the incident took place last year and involved the department responding to a call at the boat ramp where a citizen had stated that an officer had purposely rammed his boat. Febo went on to say there were conflicting accounts regarding the incident and very minor contact. He said while no formal complaint was filed, a report was filed and the incident was not covered up. Additionally, he said, the officer was spoken to about rudeness when dealing with the public. The work of setting up a review board is difficult and time-intensive, Terrill said. Current Police Chief David Pratt suspended Roca in March and then recommended that the mayor terminate Roca. Massachusetts Officer Alleges Corruption Within Department It was not there to help me.. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, Holyoke Police Officer Rafael Roca suspended after posting viral video alleging corruption at the department, Because of this video I will probably be fired: Holyoke officer alleges police corruption in viral video, Holyokes fiscal future appears bright as Joshua Garcia enters office. Nearly two dozen people arrested following 'high visibility' detail in On Nov. 10, then acting mayor Terence Murphy followed that recommendation after a city lawyer determined there was just cause for firing Roca. In an interview with the Republican, Febo disputed Rocas claims. Nobody should get away with taking the law into their own hands and being above it, he said. 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. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBHolyokePD-hg031021,ph1'); 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. Yeah they didnt waste any time. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); var currentheadline = document.getElementById("headline").innerText; '"; 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. 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. His video, posted Sunday, has been viewed 27,000 times. 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. NEPM has obtained a decades worth of civilian complaints against HPD officers and the departments own internal investigations of them. Two of the civilian complaints that NEPM obtained alleged that police violently arrested students in the citys schools. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph2'); }. He said minority candidates get passed over for top positions, as detectives or supervisors. I say what I mean, and I mean what I say, Roca said in March. Roca then went on to accuse current Holyoke Police Chief, Manny Febo, of being a corrupt police officer. The report, which Roca shared with the Gazette, was completed on July 2. Officers suspended for talking to media about corruption I stand behind the video and what I said in it.. Not a single person from City Hall or city government reached out at all, he said. Service, a Creative Commons The comments are concerning, erroneous, harmful, but most importantly divisive, Capt. And thats the ultimate way of holding police accountable from the commissions perspective.. In a nearly 45-minute speech, he alleges that superior officers in the department falsify overtime pay, have protected each other from punishment from misconduct and have fostered a culture of favoritism and racism when it comes to promotion. Neiswanger said that a tipster found the gun in an alley, and that the mayors presence was a coincidence. Coughlin has been living large on his State Police pension of $131,961 a year. var sellablestring = "GAZETTE STAFF"; If that doesn't work, move to step 2: literally shoot the messenger and affiliate links. sites. Angela Davis en LinkedIn: Two Black Minnesota police chiefs on what One complaint for rudeness was not sustained by an investigation. And often, legal protections and collective bargaining agreements with police unions prevent those boards from interviewing officers, he added. 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.. They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system, Roca told Masslive.com on Monday. Yeah, they didnt waste any time. The backlash was swift from the citys two police unions, which called on Maldonado Velez to apologize or recuse himself from votes related to the police department. He also alleged gross negligence by Febo and his "favorites.". 234 were here. Valentin, who went on to work as a staffer for U.S. Sens. The HPDs log of complaints and internal investigations contains no evidence the department ever opened an internal investigation into the incident. The Holyoke Police Department is working very hard to reduce crime and impact violence in this industrious Western Massachusetts city. 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. Israelis protest legal overhaul plans for 9th week - WWLP 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 . 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. 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. 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.. Audit finds Holyoke Police Department poses 'substantial risk' to city 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. program 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. His video, posted Sunday, has been viewed 27,000 times. Taken from that vehicle was two ballistic vests with two magazines in the pouches, along with some K9 gear, and a first aid bag. 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. 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. will soon post complaints against police officers online. Roca also said that other officers have not been fired after breaking the law driving drunk, for example losing firearms and other misconduct. OSHA, cannabis company reach $14k settlement in Holyoke worker's death Holyoke police officer alleges corruption within department Hed be gone by then.. You can try, records from the Northampton Police Department, Amherst Police Department investigated 16 civilian complaints, Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, Holyoke police officer publicly alleged corruption, some characterized as excessive overtime, online, like the POST Commission now allows on its website, blocked from reviewing the police department's internal report. Roca was immediately placed on administrative leave as the department conducted an internal investigation. One is a female who is being trained to investigate sensitive crimes involving children, females and domestic violence. 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. No civilian complaints data obtained for this agency. 2021 Roca said he was suspended for violating the departments social media policy, which bars officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. Records obtained under new Mass. law show Holyoke police dismiss nearly 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. 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. All rights reserved, FIRST ALERT: Storm Hitting Greater Boston Live Radar, Updates. Holyoke officer who exposes police corruption in video gets suspended The Nevada neighborhoods of Summerlin, Henderson and Minden are on the In 1894 the New York State Senate launched the first comprehensive investigation of corruption in the NYPD. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. As for Roca, he said he doesnt regret posting the video or making the allegations. The 69 complaints that NEPM obtained are just the ones that civilians managed to file with the HPD in the first place. I kept yelling that they were violating our rights and they continued to search my vehicle against my will. The man alleged that Leahy tackled him to the ground at 2 a.m. after he had left a club, put a gun to his head and told him to shut up when he asked what was going on. Holyoke Police Department Will Have First Latino Chief | WAMC 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. In 2017, for example, a civilian accused Holyoke police officer Patrick Leahy of putting him through hell for almost a year.. Roca said he hopes the Massachusetts government will audit the department. 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. John Hart was suspended and fined for losing a department-issued sniper rifle. Later that evening, however, Roca and another officer saw the fire department lieutenant drive by in his car again at high speed. Skilled in Microsoft Word, Police Procedures, Defensive Tactics, Emergency Management, Law Enforcement, Conflict Resolution and Public Speaking. In his internal report on the incident, HPDs internal affairs officer, Manuel Reyes, said police pulled over Concepcion for a traffic violation. list of candidates for Holyoke police officer. Roca also suggests the state attorney general or the FBI should look into his claims against Febo and the department. 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. 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. His video, posted Sunday, has been viewed 27,000 times. var currentLocation = window.location; 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. According to the Holyoke Fire Department, at approximately 8:30 p.m . 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. He has since been suspended for refusing to take the video down. They pick and choose who they want to discipline and who they dont want to discipline.. The agency still has not released that data because of the need to clean up and validate the massive data set, according to Zuniga. 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. Holyoke Police Department killed 1 person from 2013-21. 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. He was deployed to Bosnia from 2003-2004 where he worked with anti-corruption and security forces. But he said other studies have found that civilian review boards have a minimal effect on accountability. tag_id.innerHTML = ' Buy this Image'; There are only two officers in this group that are assigned to specialized units. 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.. Because when you speak up and you expose corruption, he said in the video, thats what they do.. Internal affairs is corrupt as can be, Roca said in his video. Holyoke Police Department | Boing Boing var sellablestring2 = "STAFF PHOTO"; During the semester however if an accommodation He said he was in the hospital due to stress from the situation. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph1'); Roca was suspended with pay Tuesday as Holyoke police pursue an internal investigation, he said. 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. He also called for the FBI or the state attorney generals office to investigate the department. 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. Holyoke police officer suspended after alleging corruption Holyoke officer suspended for viral video alleging corruption, racism In his video, Roca references alleged abuse of overtime pay. 'Officer shuffle': Some ousted cops find jobs at new departments in Mass. With that said, I will not be commenting on the internal personnel matter that is ongoing.. Springfield this past year reinstituted a civilian Board of Police Commissioners to oversee the department and decide on officer discipline. "whether the employee has been guilty of substantial misconduct which adversely affects the public interest by impairing the efficiency of public service." School Comm. '"; Holyoke Police Department | Holyoke MA 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. 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. Roca mentioned the incident in his video over the weekend. Not one time did they respond to a call, not one time were they on the radio, he said. Holyoke police officer fired over video accusing department of }. Reserve Online Appointment for New LTC / Firearms' - TimeTap SCREENSHOT/YOUTUBE 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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 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. Bryan Custadio, Fall River Police 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. In an interview with NEPM, Maldonado Velez said his critique of the police department is not about individual officers but rather the system of policing. Carla Sinclair 11:00 am Tue Mar 9, 2021. NYPD Corruption Charges: The Origins of the Problem | Time Many of those officers all but one of whom are supervisors collected tens of thousands of dollars last year in overtime pay. I said Im sorry but, respectfully, I refuse to take it down.. He said: The chief saw your video and hes ordering you to take it down, Roca 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. If youre in the police department, you have to obey orders.. Locally, the city of Pittsfield has a Police Advisory and Review Board. Febo, according to Roca, allegedly promoted a friend to the position of provisional lieutenant. Holyoke Police Department's 24 hour anonymous "TEXT-A-TIP" Dial CRIMES (533-TIPS or 533-8477). 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. Yeah, they didnt waste any time. As of 2019, the estimated population was 40,117. 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. }, Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. All rights reserved (About Us). 8. 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. Of the remaining 34 non-minority officers in this group, 18 are in a specialized assignment. When. 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. On December 24, 2015 and January 25, 2016, HRD, at the request of the City, sent Murphy didnt have to answer to anybody. Holyoke Massachusetts & Pennsylvania Legal Representation. 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. var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph1'); I plan to fight this to the end. Its not clear and it doesnt exist. Concepcion said his experience with the HPDs internal affairs system shows that there isnt any accountability within the department. 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. The complaints allege HPD officers engaged in misconduct ranging from brutality and bullying to discourtesy and dishonesty. But the police reform bill changed that, clarifying that those investigations are not personnel records. 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. 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. Speaking to the Gazette, he alleged he has worked on grant-funded shifts during which supervisors who were supposed to be working were nowhere to be found the entire shift.. Youre supposed to act a certain way, talk a certain way.