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. 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. John Hart was suspended and fined for losing a department-issued sniper rifle. In 2017, for example, a civilian accused Holyoke police officer Patrick Leahy of putting him through hell for almost a year.. All rights reserved (About Us). A former military police officer, Terrill has for many years researched civilian complaints against police officers in cities across the country, including a2016 study that looked at departmentsin eight different cities. Officers have. 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. 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. Sgts. 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. 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. HOLYOKE, Mass. Leon Davis, Springfield Police Department. 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. Within the department, he said he had been shamed. After nearly a year, Reyes closed the departments investigation of the incident, saying he was unable to reach the man who complained. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBHolyokePD-hg031021,ph1'); That decision was made after a Holyoke police officer publicly alleged corruption within the HPD and a Daily Hampshire Gazette investigation found what some characterized as "excessive. Pages 17 Course Hero uses AI to attempt to automatically extract content from documents to surface to you and others so you can study better, e.g., in search results, to enrich docs, and more. Whos policing the police? he asked. At issue in Rocas case was whether he disobeyed a legal order from a superior, brought the Holyoke Police Department into disrepute with his statements, violated policy by posting to social media without permission from the police chief, and made public criticism that was defamatory. When you speak up and when you expose corruption, thats what they do. 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. 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. 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. This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. 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. sites. Roca said the straw that broke the camels back and resulted in him posting the video was a call from a coworker he received the day the video was posted, March 7. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring2) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring3) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring4) > -1) { One complaint for rudeness was not sustained by an investigation. NEPM has obtained a decades worth of civilian complaints against HPD officers and the departments own internal investigations of them. 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 Rafael Roca alleges there iscorruption and racism in the Holyoke Police Department. var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph1'); 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. Roca also said that other officers have not been fired after breaking the law driving drunk, for example losing firearms and other misconduct. Daily Hampshire Gazette Contests & Promotions, Daily Hampshire Gazette Evening Top Reads, Daily Hampshire Gazette Weekly Top Stories, Daily Hampshire Gazette Dining & Entertainment, Support the Who will be eaten first? In it, he alleged that superior officers falsify overtime pay, have protected each other from punishment for misconduct and have fostered a culture of favoritism and racism when it comes to promotion. Roca said he had performed consistently in his role as a police officer and engaged in crime fighting when others were allegedly sleeping in their police cruisers and ignoring crime. He went on to say there had been officers he knew of that were allegedly involved in drunk driving incidents, who had assaulted people with their boats who have been labeled as racist and officers who had stolen money. He went on to say there were police officers who allegedly have made an excess of $260,000 a year and no one had questioned the situation. This story has been updated to include a statement from Chief Manny Febo which he sent to the Gazette midday on Tuesday. He said that Febo and others have stepped in to prevent him from getting jobs with other police departments. designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated "Holyoke has always been known as the Paper City. Because Roca has filed an appeal, the state Civil Service Commission will now determine whether his discipline will stand. Whether its now or later, well see.. Carla Sinclair 11:00 am Tue Mar 9, 2021. 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. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Roca said that the department is rife with racism. They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system, Roca said during an interview at the time. It goes back as long as anyone can remember, he said in the video. The mayors office said it expects the report to be completed in the coming days. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising Read about what we do with the data we gather in our Privacy Policy. In an interview last week, Garcia said he planned to follow through with an assessment of the police department, later adding: This is not an investigation, its an assessment.. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph2'); Nine of those 12 are in specialized assignments other than patrol operations. March 15, Boing Boing is published under a Creative Commons 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. Citizens in Holyoke, Colorado should be aware of illegal activities surrounding police brutality among their police departments and take actions against them. So Romero arrested him for assault and battery on a police officer. HOLYOKE, Mass. Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca alleges there iscorruption and racism in the Holyoke Police Department. Roca said he was suspended for violating the departments social media policy, which bars officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. He added, I want to [assure] 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.. 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. Advocates call for more police oversight after WBUR investigation, Mass. 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. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 1 Catholic Memorial; roundup/list of scores, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking. 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.. Pratt said that Roca can still present his case to the Civil Service Commission. He said minority candidates get passed over for top positions, as detectives or supervisors. 234 were here. 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 . list of candidates for Holyoke police officer. Rafael Roca, 37, uploaded the now viral video early Sunday morning. Murphy didnt have to answer to anybody. will soon post complaints against police officers online. Holyoke Police Department | Holyoke MA //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ''; I speak to citizens, I speak to former police officers, retired police officers and they all say corruption and racism has taken place within this department for as long as anyone can remember., In an interview with the Gazette, Roca said that after posting the video which had more than 27,000 views days after it was posted a police department captain called him to say that Police Chief Manny Febo was ordering him to remove the video. NEPM also contacted all of the police officers mentioned in this story via email or phone. 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 stolen vehicle was later recovered in Hartford, CT and one of the vests and some K9 gear was recovered. Murphy reportedly said he felt no pressure to fire Roca before he left office. Febo, who plans to retire in July, said he has nothing to hide. He alleged that later, somebody who had been arrested tipped police off to the rifles location in an effort to receive leniency in court. To tackle these questions,"I'm a Cop"directly examines the words of READ THE REST, The Boston Globe recently printed an op-ed by former Ithaca, NY mayor Svante Myrick, who talks about his own city's approach to police reform. ", Police departments in America have a lot of unnecessary military hardware, thanks to sweetheart deals between legislators and arms dealers that allow for layers of creative financial accounting as long READ THE REST, Here's how creator Johnny Damm explains the project: Can policing be reformed? A handful of other officers were "spoken to" or "cautioned" by their superiors for other offenses, but the records show no evidence that the officers were disciplined for those violations of department rules. He expressed frustration that former Mayor Alex Morse did not do enough to address issues of racism during his tenure. Myrick was originally elected when he 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. 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. When the state Legislature passed its police reform bill, state Senate President Karen E. Spilka, D-Ashland, described the legislation as a necessary first step towards achieving systemic change through law enforcement accountability and transparency.. If that doesn't work, move to step 2: literally shoot the messenger Roca also claimed in his video that recently, a police officer had his car stolen with guns and equipment inside. He alleged that the car was found in Hartford, but the guns and equipment were missing. HOLYOKE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - Nearly two dozen people have been arrested following an operation in Holyoke that police said is aimed at addressing the needs of the city and its residents. 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. (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 plan to fight this to the end. 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. One of our detectives who is assigned to a task force had his task force vehicle broken into, he said. 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. Last August, Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia hired the New. Cannabis company Trulieve will pay $14,502 after reaching a settlement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration over the death of an employee who worked at Trulieve's Holyoke cultivation site. Pictured above: thumbnail of the Youtube video posted by Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. var sellablestring2 = "STAFF PHOTO"; ", He calls outgoing Police Chief Manny Febo "corrupt," contending minorities are routinely passed over for upper-tier assignments and disciplined at higher rates. '"; //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ''; A second, by the Firearm Review Board, lists Roca as exonerated.. var sellablestring3 = "STAFF FILE PHOTO"; Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. tag_id.innerHTML = ''; According to the Holyoke Fire Department, at approximately 8:30 p.m . 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. Matthew Moriarty, who handles communications for the department, all failed to answer numerous email and phone messages. . 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. Im very confident that something is going to come of it, he said. Concepcion is not the first to allege that the HPD resisted taking his complaint. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Read the rules you agree to by using this website in our Terms }. In a legal opinion sent to Murphy, which Roca provided to the Gazette, Assistant City Solicitor Kathleen Degnan said that Rocas public statements were not protected by the First Amendment, and therefore the police chiefs order for him to remove the video was lawful. As of 2019, the estimated population was 40,117. Roca was immediately placed on administrative leave as the department conducted an internal investigation. The attorney generals office declined to comment on Tuesday. When. The city attorney suggested that under the circumstances the city was getting off easy. He was reelected three times, with his final term expiring in January 2022. Play all audios: Loading. Two of the civilian complaints that NEPM obtained alleged that police violently arrested students in the citys schools. 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. | 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. 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. That outcome police officers facing no discipline after a civilian alleges wrongdoing is hardly unique to Concepcions case. The work of setting up a review board is difficult and time-intensive, Terrill said. 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. 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. tag_id.innerHTML = ''; Our forum rules are detailed in the Community Guidelines. He said he felt as though for too long officers have been afraid to speak up and wanted this to change. 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.. Roca said that as a result, supervisors have given him a bad image that has influenced others in the department. 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). And thats the ultimate way of holding police accountable from the commissions perspective.. 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. var currentLocation = window.location; Boing Boing uses cookies and analytics trackers, and is supported by advertising, merchandise
