", 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? There are only two officers in this group that are assigned to specialized units. Reyes the internal affairs officer found the officers actions justified and proper, and consistent with standard protocols for crash-scene response and safety. 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. Roca also suggests the state attorney general or the FBI should look into his claims against Febo and the department. Murphy didnt have to answer to anybody. One officer was accused of using his siren at a drive-thru window to get his ice cream more quickly. Massachusetts Officer Alleges Corruption Within Department 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. 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. Officer Leahy made up a substantial portion of his report, the man 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. Roca also told the newspaper he plans to file a lawsuit over how he was treated. Holyoke Police Department killed 1 person from 2013-21. //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ' Buy this Image'; 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. var sellablestring = "GAZETTE STAFF"; He said he was in the hospital due to stress from the situation. He said he felt as though for too long officers have been afraid to speak up and wanted this to change. Previously, police departments were able to argue that those documents were personnel records, which are typically exempt from disclosure under the law. And I think were allowing a lot of these police departments to be above it.. He was reelected three times, with his final term expiring in January 2022. Three of those officers claimed more than 800 overtime hours that year, and another claimed more than 1,200 hours. 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. HOLYOKE, Mass. 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 CO Police Brutality Lawyers - Police Brutality Lawyers We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising He went on to say that he felt as though he would either be fired or suspended for posting the 45-minute long video. With that said, I will not be commenting on the internal personnel matter that is ongoing.. var currentheadline = document.getElementById("headline").innerText; 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. SCREENSHOT/YOUTUBE Holyoke mayor: Low rate of officer discipline doesn't mean police For this reason, the Holyoke Police department will have no further comment regarding Mr. Roca or his Case.. John Hart was suspended and fined for losing a department-issued sniper rifle. He said that is because he is a proactive police officer who tries to engage in crime fighting., I was a very proactive officer, I would do my job, I tried to do traffic stops, he told the Gazette. Despite the high Puerto Rican population in Holyoke, Roca said there are not enough police officers from the community. Yeah, they didnt waste any time. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); 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. Roca said he retired from the U.S. Marines after a lengthy career in 2016 and pursued his lifelong dream of being a police officer. HOLYOKE, Mass. During the debate, City Councilor Jos Maldonado Velez referred to the police as a gang., It literally is, he said in the meeting. Bryan Custadio, Fall River Police Department. Some complaints involve allegations that police officers broke the 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. Coughlin has been living large on his State Police pension of $131,961 a year. }. 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. var sellablestring4 = "GAZETTE FILE PHOTO"; On March 7, Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca posted a video on YouTube alleging racism and corruption by the Holyoke Police Department. Commonwealth of Massachusetts Civil Service Commission 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. 540K subscribers in the Bad_Cop_No_Donut community. Roca, however, claimed that somebody stole the gun from Harts house during a party. 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. The man, whose name the department redacted, said Leahy accused him of raising a handgun as he crossed the street in front of Leahys cruiser. 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. He saidthat ultimately there was sufficient cause to terminate Roca. Massachusetts officer alleges corruption within department The complaints allege HPD officers engaged in misconduct ranging from brutality and bullying to discourtesy and dishonesty. When told of NEPMs findings that only three officers had civilian complaints sustained against them over a decade, Valentin said shes not surprised. Some people who filed a complaint with the HPD said that officers actions impacted their lives long after the alleged misconduct took place. I already knew they were going to wait until the last minute, he said. It was not there to help me.. Have you ever had a vision 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. Though he mentioned no names in the video, one incident Roca referred to occurred in September 2011, when police Sgt. 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. Skilled in Microsoft Word, Police Procedures, Defensive Tactics, Emergency Management, Law Enforcement, Conflict Resolution and Public Speaking. Mass. police officer alleges corruption within his department - Boston.com Holyoke police officer alleges corruption within department 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. 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. As for Roca, he said he doesnt regret posting the video or making the allegations. 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. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); Of the remaining 34 non-minority officers in this group, 18 are in a specialized assignment. 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. 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. How do cops view themselves and their work? Im very confident that something is going to come of it, he said. The officers on the scene denied that they had drawn their weapons and challenged the extent of the mans injuries; they said he refused to get out of the car and then reached for the center console. We dont have that today.. 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 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. Holyoke Police Department | Holyoke, MA Similarrecords from the Northampton Police Department, for example, show that of the 90 times an officer faced a civilian complaint from 2010 and 2020, department superiors only disciplined officers nine times. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. (They) never investigated any of my allegations to see if I was lying, he said. will soon post complaints against police officers online. //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ' Buy this Image'; You hear from those that came before us saying the police would kick you back down to the Flats; you couldnt be seen up above High Street, Maldonado Velez said. 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. 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. program OSHA, cannabis company reach $14k settlement in Holyoke worker's death He said minority candidates get passed over for top positions, as detectives or supervisors. 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. 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. 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. I think the common response is, Why bother? she said. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. 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, MA Those who are paying attention to the ever-expanding police state in the land of the free know that the system is set up in such a way that it protects bad cops while punishing the good ones. Internal affairs is corrupt as can be, Roca said in his video. Office Location: 57 Suffolk St. Suite 200 Holyoke, MA 01040 Call Us 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. And often, legal protections and collective bargaining agreements with police unions prevent those boards from interviewing officers, he added. Read the rules you agree to by using this website in our Terms Murphy reportedly said he felt no pressure to fire Roca before he left office. As of 2019, the estimated population was 40,117. 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.. The reality is my community policing cops got a tip and they followed up on it, Neiswanger told The Republican at the time. They pick and choose who they want to discipline and who they dont want to discipline.. A 2020 city report of the top 100 salaries in the city shows that, including school staff, 18 out of the top 20 highest paid city employees that year were police officers. He was deployed in 2009-2010 to Iraq where he assisted military police . 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. 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. In his own time, he said that he witnessed classmates incarcerated as part of the school-to-prison pipeline.. Youre immediately going into this intimidating environment and youre having to go up to the desk sergeant asking for this, and then youre put on ice and made to sit there, Terrill said. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring2) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring3) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring4) > -1) { 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. Thank you! Wine Alan v City of Holyoke - Massachusetts Holyoke officer who exposes police corruption in video gets suspended . Position Type:Staff Full-time. Daily Hampshire Gazette Contests & Promotions, Daily Hampshire Gazette Evening Top Reads, Daily Hampshire Gazette Weekly Top Stories, Daily Hampshire Gazette Dining & Entertainment, Support the YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. (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. Listen HOLYOKE, Mass. In 1894 the New York State Senate launched the first comprehensive investigation of corruption in the NYPD. I stand behind the video and what I said in it. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. He alleged that he was denied a job with the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus police at the request of his police chief and that when he saved the life of a white state trooper, the state trooper was rewarded over himself. Later that evening, however, Roca and another officer saw the fire department lieutenant drive by in his car again at high speed. Boing Boing uses cookies and analytics trackers, and is supported by advertising, merchandise But now he finds out if he will be charged with misdemeanor furnishing of alcohol and reckless endangerment of a. 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. Joshua Garcia was sworn in as Holyokes 45th mayor on Monday. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. The man alleged that Leahy tackled him to the ground at 2 a.m. after he had left a club, put a gun to his head and told him to shut up when he asked what was going on. }, Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. On Nov. 10, then acting mayor Terence Murphy followed that recommendation after a city lawyer determined there was just cause for firing Roca. Following Rocas allegations, the Gazette obtained and analyzed Holyoke Police Department records tracking overtime pay and hours. 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. 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 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. "Yeah, they didn't waste any time. Roca then went on to accuse current Holyoke Police Chief, Manny Febo, of being a corrupt police officer. Roca said he did speak to both the attorney generals office and FBI at the same time, but that there was no subsequent follow-up from them. Many of those officers all but one of whom are supervisors collected tens of thousands of dollars last year in overtime pay. (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. Valentin, who went on to work as a staffer for U.S. Sens. 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. 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. var sellablestring = "GAZETTE STAFF"; var photocredit = "'Screenshot from YouTube.' Taken from that vehicle was two ballistic vests with two magazines in the pouches, along with some K9 gear, and a first aid bag. At the end of the video, Roca went on to tell viewers to seek accountability from elected officials. (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 . The analysis found that 15 officers were paid more than 500 hours of overtime in fiscal year 2020, including four of the departments five highest-paid officers, who earned hourly overtime rates ranging from $94 to $109 an hour. "Holyoke has always been known as the Paper City. The so-called Lexow Committee revealed to the city and nation in unprecedented detail. Roca responded saying he already appealed the decision to the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission. But that work hasnt fully gotten off the ground yet. 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 alleged that later, somebody who had been arrested tipped police off to the rifles location in an effort to receive leniency in court. He said NEPMs reporting points to a they-against-us type of mentality and not really a serve-and-protect type mentality within the police department, and that an external, non-biased party should be investigating allegations of misconduct. Alex Benjamin Morse (born January 29, 1989) is an American politician who served as the 44th mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts from 2012 to 2021. If you need to reach our office by phone, contact us at 413-538-7118. 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. Hed be gone by then.. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring2) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring3) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring4) > -1) { Compare the best Police Misconduct lawyers near Holyoke, MA today. 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.