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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. Roca then went on to accuse current Holyoke Police Chief, Manny Febo, of being a corrupt police officer. In his own time, he said that he witnessed classmates incarcerated as part of the school-to-prison pipeline.. Position Type:Staff Full-time. 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, Mass. 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. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). He has since been suspended for refusing to take the video down. 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. designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated Project Advances, What Happened to the Money?' If that doesn't work, move to step 2: literally shoot the messenger var sellablestring4 = "GAZETTE FILE PHOTO"; 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. 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. March 9, 2021. 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. HOLYOKE, Mass. var currentheadline = document.getElementById("headline").innerText; So Romero arrested him for assault and battery on a police officer. 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. I plan to fight this to the end. Roca said he was suspended for violating the departments social media policy, which bars officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. Alex Benjamin Morse (born January 29, 1989) is an American politician who served as the 44th mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts from 2012 to 2021. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, told NEPM that she filed the complaint because she wanted to push back against her constituents dominant perception: that there was no point in filing a complaint against the HPD. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. 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. var currentLocation = window.location; var sellablestring4 = "GAZETTE FILE PHOTO"; 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. One complaint for rudeness was not sustained by an investigation. Read about what we do with the data we gather in our Privacy Policy. 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. The so-called Lexow Committee revealed to the city and nation in unprecedented detail. var sellablestring = "GAZETTE STAFF"; 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. license. var sellablestring4 = "GAZETTE FILE PHOTO"; Howie Carr: What's so urgent in Holbrook, Mr. Speaker? Notes. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring2) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring3) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring4) > -1) { 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. 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. 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. 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.. Mr. HOLYOKE - A Holyoke police officer recently released a YouTube video accusing the Holyoke Police Department of corruption. Image courtesy by Kate Turner 21. 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. On March 9, spokesperson for the Holyoke Police Department Matthew Moriarty confirmed that Roca was on paid leave while an internal investigation was completed regarding the matter. After nearly a year, Reyes closed the departments investigation of the incident, saying he was unable to reach the man who complained. That is roughly 53 percent of non-minority officers with eight years or more who are assigned to specialized assignments., Additional he said there were 38 officers total with six years or less of full-time experience, Of those 38, 17 are minority officers. Taken from that vehicle was two ballistic vests with two magazines in the pouches, along with some K9 gear, and a first aid bag. Now that Roca has filed an appeal, the Civil Service Commission will decide whether the termination holds up. 8. In an interview with the Republican, Febo disputed Rocas claims. As of 2019, the estimated population was 40,117. "Holyoke has always been known as the Paper City. (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 . "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. Screenshot from YouTube. 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. Thank you! It should be known as Corrupt City," he said in the video. Two officers did respond to say that department policies prohibit them from speaking to the press without permission from higher-ups. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising Its not clear and it doesnt exist. 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. When you speak up and when you expose corruption, thats what they do. I stand by the integrity of the men and women of the Holyoke Police Department and I welcome any outside agency that would like to look into any of the alleged allegations from the video, he said in a statement. 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. "whether the employee has been guilty of substantial misconduct which adversely affects the public interest by impairing the efficiency of public service." School Comm. Sgts. A second, by the Firearm Review Board, lists Roca as exonerated.. 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. At least 85,000 law enforcement officers across the USA have been investigated or disciplined for misconduct over the past decade, an investigation by USA TODAY Network found. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. One officer was accused of using his siren at a drive-thru window to get his ice cream more quickly. 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 . He alleged that later, somebody who had been arrested tipped police off to the rifles location in an effort to receive leniency in court. var currentheadline = document.getElementById("headline").innerText; 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. Ernest Fontaine, Fitchburg State . At the time, then-Police Chief James Neiswanger said the weapon had fallen out of Harts pickup truck. Becoming a police officer was his "life long dream" but that dream was "quickly affected" and "hurt" by the corruption and racism of police officers, which "goes back to as long as anyone can remember. Terrill said that often, complaints arent sustained because civilians have a misperception about what is, and isnt, a violation of department policy. 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. 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. Early on in his tenure with the department, Roca was called to testify in an appeal hearing before the state Civil Service Commission over the suspension of a superior, Sgt. Febo, according to Roca, allegedly promoted a friend to the position of provisional lieutenant. They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system, Roca told Masslive.com on Monday. The chief did, however, address several of the allegations Roca made in the video. The city of Holyoke is not alone in resisting transparency, and I think thats the only way to describe an 18-month delay in providing access to records that clearly were public, said Jeffrey Pyle, an attorney with the firm Prince Lobel Tye LLP who specializes in media and First Amendment law. The police reform bill also required police departments to turn over data on their internal investigations to the commission, which pledged to make that information public last spring. Locally, the city of Pittsfield has a Police Advisory and Review Board. 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. In his video, Roca references alleged abuse of overtime pay. Daily Hampshire Gazette. //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ''; HOLYOKE A Holyoke police officer recently released a YouTube video accusing the Holyoke Police Department of corruption.