The suspected shooter is in custody. The rollout hasnot been smooth, with commissioners sparring overinternal rulesandavailable resources. Holyoke Police Officer Rafael Roca Fired Over Video Accusing Department Of Corruption And Racism November 23, 2021 | No Comments Last week, Holyoke's 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. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. Nine of those 12 are in specialized assignments other than patrol operations. The police are policing themselves., Maldonado Velez is not the first city councilor who has come under fire from Holyokes police unions. Rafael Roca, 37,. The benefits of learning to play READ THE REST. He was suspended for violating the departments social media policy, which prohibits officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. For those reasons, Reyes cleared the officers of violating department policies. He expressed frustration that former Mayor Alex Morse did not do enough to address issues of racism during his tenure. 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 cities would have to go all in to train civilians to do that work. 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. 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.. 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. 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. Holyoke Police Department | Holyoke MA 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph1'); 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 work of setting up a review board is difficult and time-intensive, Terrill said. I stand behind the video and what I said in it.. Publicado por julho 4, 2022 idioms for being bad at something em holyoke police corruption julho 4, 2022 idioms for being bad at something em holyoke police corruption The reality is my community policing cops got a tip and they followed up on it, Neiswanger told The Republican at the time. Roca said a police captain called him about a day after he posted the video. 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. I did exactly what I was trained and paid to do but people on my watch had a problem with that because they like to sleep in their cruisers overnight; they dont want to work.. Among Roca's more generalized allegations, he called out the department for: a. HOLYOKE, Mass. Bryan Custadio, Fall River Police Department. Service, a Creative Commons (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 . Pratt said that Roca can still present his case to the Civil Service Commission. OSHA, cannabis company reach $14k settlement in Holyoke worker's death . Hours per week:37.5 Weeks per year:52. 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 stand behind the video and what I said in it.. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBHolyokePD-hg031021,ph1'); Ultimately, police found the weapon in February 2012 while Morse was riding along with officers on duty. Graduated from 36th Massachusetts Police Officer . I am a Latino. //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ''; Reyes, Police Chief David Pratt and Capt. Sgts. I dont think the mayors office is the right place to do a criminal investigation of the police, Murphy said when asked whether the city had investigated Rocas claims. Three of those officers claimed more than 800 overtime hours that year, and another claimed more than 1,200 hours. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. Ill probably lose my job, but Im good. John Hart was suspended and fined for losing a department-issued sniper rifle. Roca said in his report that the driver attempted to back into a state trooper, at which point he fired his gun three times at the driver. Following Rocas allegations, the Gazette obtained and analyzed Holyoke Police Department records tracking overtime pay and hours. When told of NEPMs findings that only three officers had civilian complaints sustained against them over a decade, Valentin said shes not surprised. 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. HOLYOKE, Mass. 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. HOLYOKE - A Holyoke police officer recently released a YouTube video accusing the Holyoke Police Department of corruption. On March 7, Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca posted a video on YouTube alleging racism and corruption by the Holyoke Police Department. As part. When asked about allegations that the HPD made civilians wait in the police department to file a complaint, he described that as an old-school, tried-and-true tactic of the agencies to keep their complaint level down.. 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. Project Advances, What Happened to the Money?' An officer ripped his work ID off his neck, he alleged, throwing it to the ground and saying, F--- your program.. 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. Manuel Febo, a Holyoke native who grew up in the. Roca responded saying he already appealed the decision to the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Reminders Publishing. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); But critics have described that body as toothless. Terrill said that often, complaints arent sustained because civilians have a misperception about what is, and isnt, a violation of department policy. }. 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. And often, legal protections and collective bargaining agreements with police unions prevent those boards from interviewing officers, he added. Two officers did respond to say that department policies prohibit them from speaking to the press without permission from higher-ups. 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. 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. Pictured above: thumbnail of the Youtube video posted by Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. Reyes the internal affairs officer found the officers actions justified and proper, and consistent with standard protocols for crash-scene response and safety. Nobody should get away with taking the law into their own hands and being above it, he said. Roca said he has already appealed that decision to the states Civil Service Commission. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Previously, police departments were able to argue that those documents were personnel records, which are typically exempt from disclosure under the law. 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. 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.. Thats what police was for. Click here to sign up for our weekly coronavirus newsletter. var sellablestring3 = "STAFF FILE PHOTO"; var sellablestring4 = "GAZETTE FILE PHOTO"; 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 . The report, which Roca shared with the Gazette, was completed on July 2. Febo did not use any names in his statement, but addressed an incident 10 years ago where rifles were lost. According to the Holyoke Fire Department, at approximately 8:30 p.m . 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. The city settled that lawsuit for $65,000 in 2020. Im very confident that something is going to come of it, he said. 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. 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. Others, he added, have managed to escape from serious instances of misconduct without any disciplinary action. He said he felt as though for too long officers have been afraid to speak up and wanted this to change. SCREENSHOT/YOUTUBE And thats the ultimate way of holding police accountable from the commissions perspective.. So Romero arrested him for assault and battery on a police officer. Roca said he hopes the Massachusetts government will audit the department. 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. 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. Not one time did they respond to a call, not one time were they on the radio, 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. 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. Citizens in Holyoke, Colorado should be aware of illegal activities surrounding police brutality among their police departments and take actions against them. One complaint for rudeness was not sustained by an investigation. 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. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph2'); In one 2011 complaint, a civilian alleged that during a traffic stop that involved Officer Jared Hamel, police held a gun to the civilian's head and knocked him unconscious, after which officers stomped on his face and dislocated his jaw. 234 were here. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Internal affairs is corrupt as can be, Roca said in his video. 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. Roca said he expected to face discipline after posting the video but was invested in calling attention to what he saw as problems within the department. I think it just really supports the theory of nothing is going to happen, nothing is going to change, she said. And cities where complaints of police misconduct are rarely ruled in favor of civilians could benefit from creating an oversight structure to independently investigate these complaints. In other words, having the power to question the suspect, having the power to question the officer.. Schedule an appointment online for a New LTC / Firearms license. They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system, Roca toldMasslive.comon Monday. Jorge Monsalve. How do cops view themselves and their work? Theyre there to protect each other, to look out for each other, and to come out with force in our community.