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. His video, posted Sunday, has been viewed 27,000 times. Wheres my due process in that?. 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.. 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. Because Roca has filed an appeal, the state Civil Service Commission will now determine whether his discipline will stand. In the almost 45-minute video, Roca recounted favoritism, covering up lost and stolen weapons and other instances of corruption. HOLYOKE, Mass. A second, by the Firearm Review Board, lists Roca as exonerated.. Roca mentioned the incident in his video over the weekend. Roca was immediately placed on administrative leave as the department conducted an internal investigation. When he declined to do so, Roca said he was suspended with pay for failure to obey a direct order on my day off and for violating their social media policy., It goes to show that theyre dirty and they want to cover up the stuff that they do, Roca told the Gazette. (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. 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. var photocredit = "'Screenshot from YouTube.' Coughlin has been living large on his State Police pension of $131,961 a year. Ernest Fontaine, Fitchburg State . They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system, Roca told Masslive.com on Monday. All rights reserved (About Us). var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); There were obviously violations of police procedures, Murphy said. 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. When. Based on the report, Police Chief David Pratt suspended Roca for five days and recommended that the citys mayor terminate him. Each police department documented the incident and can be retrieved easily., Febo then addressed the incident in which Roca referred to an officer involving an alleged intentional boat accident. 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. I am a Latino. 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 . (WWLP) - Holyoke's Chief of Police responded to the allegations of corruption within the department, made by an officer in a widely-circulated YouTube video. And he said that when he would leave the station during those three weeks, police would pull his car over. Officer Leahy made up a substantial portion of his report, the man wrote. One of our detectives who is assigned to a task force had his task force vehicle broken into, he 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. 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. None of them provided comment on the civilian complaints they faced or the departments investigation of them, and the heads of both the patrol officers union and supervisors union did not respond to questions from NEPM. At the time, then-Police Chief James Neiswanger said the weapon had fallen out of Harts pickup truck. So far, the commission has only suspended 19 officers statewide because they were either arrested, charged or indicted on a felony charge. Of those 18 officers, eight made more than $200,000. I think the challenge with that is in most jurisdictions that have a civilian review board or some version of that, its very rare for that board to have investigatory powers, Terrill said. var sellablestring2 = "STAFF PHOTO"; Officers have. When Romero put his hand on the boys shoulder and told him to go back to his classroom, Reyes said the boy smacked the officer's hand and swore at him. Roca said that the department is rife with racism. In a statement, Pratt said he knows that both the FBI and Attorney General looked into Mr. Rocas allegations and found zero evidence to open an investigation. Roca had been with the department since 2015. Whos policing the police? he asked. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The father said in his complaint that his boys had been through a lot of trauma made worse by now living in a homeless shelter, and that as a result they didnt always react to what they were told to do. 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 Locally, the city of Pittsfield has a Police Advisory and Review Board. Roca also suggests the state attorney general or the FBI should look into his claims against Febo and the department. Concepcion alleged that he returned again and again for hours at a time until an HPD supervisor finally interviewed him three weeks later. 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. Citizens in Holyoke, Colorado should be aware of illegal activities surrounding police brutality among their police departments and take actions against them. var currentheadline = document.getElementById("headline").innerText; Roca said Monday that he wasnt surprised to have been fired, though he said he was disappointed that no city, state or federal authorities fully investigated his allegations. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. 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. It should be known as Corrupt City," he said in the video. Roca said that as a result, supervisors have given him a bad image that has influenced others in the department. 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.. Hed be gone by then.. 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. 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. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The comments are concerning, erroneous, harmful, but most importantly divisive, Capt. 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. 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. Compare the best Police Misconduct lawyers near Holyoke, MA today. Leon Davis, Springfield Police Department. He said that currently, there were 46 total patrolmen with eight years or more of full-time experience on the job., Out of those 46, 12 are minority officers. Roca also took issue with the fact that a Nov. 5 hearing on his case took place at City Hall without him. 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. At the time, Roca told the commission that he had told Monsalve he was OK with the driver being placed in protective custody instead of being arrested because he did not view it as his decision.. The investigating officers found that Roca had violated four department policies: failing to comply with an order to take his video down, unbecoming conduct, criticism of the department and social media rules. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. In his 2016 study in the journalPolice Quarterly, Terrill and fellow researcher Jason Ingram found that in cities that had police conducting internal investigations, but where an external civilian oversight agency reviewed their decisions, the department was "significantly more likely to sustain complaints." 234 were here. Irving Concepcion filed a complaint against the Holyoke, Massachusetts, police in 2016, saying they pulled him over with their guns drawn, yanked him out of his car and slammed him down on the hood. Uploaded By Greenpalace1. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The handwritten log, which tracks civilian and internal complaints against officers and their conclusions, features two entries for Roca. 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. For those reasons, Reyes cleared the officers of violating department policies. 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. Schedule an appointment online for a New LTC / Firearms license. March 15, and affiliate links. In other words, having the power to question the suspect, having the power to question the officer.. Later that evening, however, Roca and another officer saw the fire department lieutenant drive by in his car again at high speed. 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. 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. School Holyoke Community College; Course Title ENGLISH 1301; Type. ", He calls out corrupt officers, including the "corrupt police chief, and he is out to get me" He also talks about the "vast misrepresentation when it comes to minority police officers. Holyoke Police Department's 24 hour anonymous "TEXT-A-TIP" Dial CRIMES (533-TIPS or 533-8477). For those reasons, Reyes cleared the officers of violating department policies. 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. In his video, Roca references alleged abuse of overtime pay. They want to send a message to other officers: Dont be like Roca, because this is exactly whats going to happen to you., Febo said in a statement released Tuesday that it is not standard practice for police departments to comment on issues that have an ongoing personnel investigation for violations of policy. As part. 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. The city settled that lawsuit for $65,000 in 2020. Ill probably lose my job, but Im good. The Holyoke Police Department is working very hard to reduce crime and impact violence in this industrious Western Massachusetts city. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring2) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring3) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring4) > -1) { NEPM also contacted all of the police officers mentioned in this story via email or phone. 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. 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. of Ultimately, police found the weapon in February 2012 while Morse was riding along with officers on duty. In his internal report on the incident, HPDs internal affairs officer, Manuel Reyes, said police pulled over Concepcion for a traffic violation. I stand behind the video and what I said in it.. It's that point in the year 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. There are white people who try to make it difficult for us, make it difficult for the people who have done the right thing, make it difficult for the people who want to stand up for whats right, he said. 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. Howie Carr: What's so urgent in Holbrook, Mr. Speaker? Garcia said that a sub-group from the city's Police Relations Advisory Committee reviewed several consulting firms' proposals to conduct the audit. Pratt said that Roca can still present his case to the Civil Service Commission. He alleged that later, somebody who had been arrested tipped police off to the rifles location in an effort to receive leniency in court. '"; 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. While on the ground, [redacted] placed his hands under him refusing to place his hands behind him forcing Officer Romero to again employ more force to force his hands behind him, Reyes wrote. He also mentioned that he was fired right before Joshua Garcia was sworn in as Holyokes mayor on Monday. (WWLP) - The Holyoke Fire Department was sent to Hampshire and Maple Streets for a car accident on Friday. Theyre there to protect each other, to look out for each other, and to come out with force in our community. There are only two officers in this group that are assigned to specialized units. He also called for the FBI or the state attorney generals office to investigate the department. When told of NEPMs findings that only three officers had civilian complaints sustained against them over a decade, Valentin said shes not surprised. tag_id.innerHTML = ''; He also called for the FBI or the state attorney generals office to investigate the department. sales 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. Skilled in Microsoft Word, Police Procedures, Defensive Tactics, Emergency Management, Law Enforcement, Conflict Resolution and Public Speaking. If that doesn't work, move to step 2: literally shoot the messenger 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. But now he finds out if he will be charged with misdemeanor furnishing of alcohol and reckless endangerment of a. Holyoke Police Department killed 1 person from 2013-21. The HPDs top brass did not respond to numerous requests for comment on this story. Read the rules you agree to by using this website in our Terms I think it just really supports the theory of nothing is going to happen, nothing is going to change, she said. He was suspended for violating the departments social media policy, which prohibits officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. Internal affairs is corrupt as can be, Roca said in his video. The complaints allege HPD officers engaged in misconduct ranging from brutality and bullying to discourtesy and dishonesty. 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. 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.. 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. The attorney generals office declined to comment on Tuesday. Use our free directory to instantly connect with verified Police Misconduct attorneys. 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. Previously, police departments were able to argue that those documents were personnel records, which are typically exempt from disclosure under the law.
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