}. var sellablestring4 = "GAZETTE FILE PHOTO"; The driver, who officers alleged smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech, turned out to be a lieutenant with the Holyoke Fire Department. It varies, obviously, from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and time to time, but generally the studies have found that the sustained rate, if you sum them all up, is usually about 10%, Terrill said. 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. There was no set up.. 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. Alex Benjamin Morse (born January 29, 1989) is an American politician who served as the 44th mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts from 2012 to 2021. var sellablestring = "GAZETTE STAFF"; Because Roca has filed an appeal, the state Civil Service Commission will now determine whether his discipline will stand. (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. It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. His video, posted Sunday, has been viewed 27,000 times. He also mentioned that he was fired right before Joshua Garcia was sworn in as Holyokes mayor on Monday. 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.. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring2) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring3) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring4) > -1) { Get the latest news on COVID-19 delivered to you. Murphy reportedly said he felt no pressure to fire Roca before he left office. HOLYOKE, Mass. Last August, Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia hired the New. 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. Reserve Online Appointment for New LTC / Firearms' - TimeTap But for Concepcion, the man who alleged police abused their authority pulling him over in 2016, thats exactly the kind of work Holyoke and other cities should be doing. Among Roca's more generalized allegations, he called out the department for: a. 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.. 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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Holyoke Police Chief Manny Febo fact-checks allegations in suspended And I think were allowing a lot of these police departments to be above it.. Pratt said that Roca can still present his case to the Civil Service Commission. "Holyoke has always been known as the Paper City. 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.. That decision was made after aHolyoke police officer publicly alleged corruptionwithin the HPD and aDaily Hampshire Gazetteinvestigation found whatsome characterized as excessive overtimein the department, including among some of its highest-paid officers. "We cannot expect people to have respect for law and order until we teach respect to those we Terrill said that often, complaints arent sustained because civilians have a misperception about what is, and isnt, a violation of department policy. The suspended officers are listed below: Devon Bones, Holyoke Police Department Bryan Custadio, Fall River Police Department Leon Davis, Springfield Police Department Ernest Fontaine,. 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. He said they did the same to a few teenagers in the car with him, taking one of them to the ground, putting a knee to his back and arresting him. //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ' Buy this Image'; Massachusetts officer alleges corruption within department 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. Records obtained under new Mass. law show Holyoke police dismiss nearly Now, he said, one of his sons was on pain medication because of the force Romero used to arrest him. var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph2'); Tagged: Holyoke, Rafael Roca, Holyoke Police Department, Manny Febo, YouTube, Ella White, Pioneer Valley, Italian professors departure would mean end of Italian major and minor programs, Students mobilize against the rise in tuition costs/tuition increase, Holyoke police officer suspended after alleging corruption. NEPM also contacted all of the police officers mentioned in this story via email or phone. Based on the report, Police Chief David Pratt suspended Roca for five days and recommended that the citys mayor terminate him. | 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. No civilian complaints data obtained for this agency. It was originally published by New England Public Media. TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated Saturday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's contentious plan to overhaul the country's legal system, as the governm Roca also took issue with the fact that a Nov. 5 hearing on his case took place at City Hall without him. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). MUGSHOTS: Nearly two dozen arrested in Holyoke during high - WWLP 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. The handwritten log, which tracks civilian and internal complaints against officers and their conclusions, features two entries for Roca. Suspected. One officer was accused of using his siren at a drive-thru window to get his ice cream more quickly. 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 . var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkHolyokePD-hg031021,ph1'); Three of those officers claimed more than 800 overtime hours that year, and another claimed more than 1,200 hours. The mayors office said it expects the report to be completed in the coming days. 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. 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. Project Advances, What Happened to the Money?' Roca claimed that Manny Febo, the first Latinx police chief in Holyoke, has targeted him and other employees by refusing them positions and recognition for their work. Holyoke Police Department | Holyoke, MA Not one time did they respond to a call, not one time were they on the radio, he said. Pyle told NEPM that police departments and other public agencies will continue to withhold records or slow-roll their release until lawmakers improve the states public records law, which many have criticized as one of the least transparent in the country. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring2) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring3) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring4) > -1) { When told of NEPMs findings that only three officers had civilian complaints sustained against them over a decade, Valentin said shes not surprised. Previously, police departments were able to argue that those documents were personnel records, which are typically exempt from disclosure under the law. Febo, who plans to retire in July, said he has nothing to hide. Ultimately, police found the weapon in February 2012 while Morse was riding along with officers on duty. The comments are concerning, erroneous, harmful, but most importantly divisive, Capt. The incident was fully investigated by previous chief, discipline meted out, and every step was reported publicly at that time, he wrote. Use our free directory to instantly connect with verified Police Misconduct attorneys. Moriarty, the president of the HPDs supervisors union, said at a press conference held specifically to address Maldonado Velezs comments. 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. But the police reform bill changed that, clarifying that those investigations are not personnel records. . Police Capt. He has since been suspended for refusing to take the video down. If you need to reach our office by phone, contact us at 413-538-7118. I am a Latino. 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 agency still has not released that data because of the need to clean up and validate the massive data set, according to Zuniga. OSHA, cannabis company reach $14k settlement in Holyoke worker's death . During the semester however if an accommodation The chief did, however, address several of the allegations Roca made in the video. 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. Read about what we do with the data we gather in our Privacy Policy. Whos policing the police? he asked. Internal affairs is corrupt as can be, Roca said in his video. Concepcion, who alleged that police unjustifiably yanked him out of his car at gunpoint in 2016, said he attempted to file a complaint against the officers that day, but police at the station told him they had no complaint forms on hand. 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. There are only two officers in this group that are assigned to specialized units. Holyoke police officer suspended after alleging corruption That part of the commissions work has yet to materialize either. The attorney generals office declined to comment on Tuesday. Last week, Holyokes 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 'Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca alleges there iscorruption and racism in the Holyoke Police 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. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. At the end of the video, Roca went on to tell viewers to seek accountability from elected officials. will soon post complaints against police officers online. Reyes ultimately exonerated Romero. On March 7, Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca posted a video on YouTube alleging racism and corruption by the Holyoke Police Department. 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And often, legal protections and collective bargaining agreements with police unions prevent those boards from interviewing officers, he added. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph1'); 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 also suggests the state attorney general or the FBI should look into his claims against Febo and the department. The complaints allege HPD officers engaged in misconduct ranging from brutality and bullying to discourtesy and dishonesty. March 9, 2021. 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. Some complaints involve allegations that police officers broke the law. Boing Boing uses cookies and analytics trackers, and is supported by advertising, merchandise 8. Roca said a police captain called him about a day after he posted the video. sales 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 parks in the train station on Main Street on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. It took the HPD more than a year and a half to turn over its 69 internal investigations, all of which the department redacted to remove information about the person alleging misconduct. Police officer placed on leave, alleges corruption within department For example, he characterized it as a workplace where now-former Police Chief Manny Febo favorites were not disciplined despite losing weapons and facing restraining orders, according to the accusations. 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. He was deployed in 2009-2010 to Iraq where he assisted military police . Not a single person from City Hall or city government reached out at all, he said. Roca mentioned the incident in his video over the weekend. 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.. Concepcion alleged that he returned again and again for hours at a time until an HPD supervisor finally interviewed him three weeks later. 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.