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. (They) never investigated any of my allegations to see if I was lying, he said. 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. The HPDs log of complaints and internal investigations contains no evidence the department ever opened an internal investigation into the incident. She wrotethat she believed Rocas public statements to be untruthful and self-serving, and that he made them with the intent to defame the Holyoke Police Department.. Whether its now or later, well see.. Play all audios: Loading. ", 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. 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. 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. After nearly a year, Reyes closed the departments investigation of the incident, saying he was unable to reach the man who complained. Ill probably lose my job, but Im good. He said he was in the hospital due to stress from the situation. 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. 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. In 2014, the president of the patrol-officer union wrote a scathing letter to the City Council denouncing Councilors Rebecca Lisi and Jossie Valentin for marching in a Black Lives Matter protest where he said some protesters used anti-police rhetoric., Since that moment, it was very evident to me that some members of the Holyoke Police Department were not happy with me and with Rebecca, Valentin told NEPM in an interview from Puerto Rico, where she now lives. Roca said that the department is rife with racism. Skilled in Microsoft Word, Police Procedures, Defensive Tactics, Emergency Management, Law Enforcement, Conflict Resolution and Public Speaking. ", He calls outgoing Police Chief Manny Febo "corrupt," contending minorities are routinely passed over for upper-tier assignments and disciplined at higher rates. Now that Roca has filed an appeal, the Civil Service Commission will decide whether the termination holds up. list of candidates for Holyoke police officer. sites. Schedule a Free Consultation Fill out your information below: Law Offices of Allyn & Ball, P.C. Among Roca's more generalized allegations, he called out the department for: a. }. 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.. 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, Holyoke Police Officer Rafael Roca suspended after posting viral video alleging corruption at the department, Because of this video I will probably be fired: Holyoke officer alleges police corruption in viral video, Holyokes fiscal future appears bright as Joshua Garcia enters office. Holyoke police officer parks in the train station on Main Street on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Matthew Moriarty, who handles communications for the department, all failed to answer numerous email and phone messages. Because Roca has filed an appeal, the state Civil Service Commission will now determine whether his discipline will stand. Audit finds Holyoke Police Department poses 'substantial risk' to city 2021 Police Capt. In August, the city of Holyoke hired a firm to audit its police department, including its internal affairs processes. I think the common response is, Why bother? she said. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); (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. 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. Nine of those 12 are in specialized assignments other than patrol operations. He said the promoted individual allegedly lost two weapons as an officer. He went on to say that one weapon had allegedly been lost and another had been stolen from the officers home, an incident which Roca claimed was covered up.. 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. 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. They pick and choose who they want to discipline and who they dont want to discipline.. (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. But critics have described that body as toothless. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. Roca said he was suspended for violating the departments social media policy, which bars officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Reminders Publishing. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. 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. Holyoke mayor: Low rate of officer discipline doesn't mean police Manuel Febo, a Holyoke native who grew up in the. Officer Leahy made up a substantial portion of his report, the man wrote. Rafael Roca, 37, uploaded the now viral video early Sunday morning. He also called for the FBI or the state attorney generals office to investigate the department. The Hampden District Attorney's Office told NEPM it was unable to confirm this report or comment on it without more information, like the name of the defendant, which was redacted from the public records response. var sellablestring4 = "GAZETTE FILE PHOTO"; Angela Davis en LinkedIn: Two Black Minnesota police chiefs on what Of those 18 officers, eight made more than $200,000. They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system, Roca said during an interview at the 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 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. 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. 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. hallermotorworx.com Informacin detallada del sitio web y la empresa One officer was accused of using his siren at a drive-thru window to get his ice cream more quickly. Valentin, who went on to work as a staffer for U.S. Sens. 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. The suspended officers are listed below: Devon Bones, Holyoke Police Department Bryan Custadio, Fall River Police Department Leon Davis, Springfield Police Department Ernest Fontaine,. 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 city attorney suggested that under the circumstances the city was getting off easy. Whos policing the police? he asked. 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. Ernest Fontaine, Fitchburg State . The Holyoke Police Department has a chief, two lieutenants and four sergeants who are minority in the department command staff., Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. Three of those officers claimed more than 800 overtime hours that year, and another claimed more than 1,200 hours. They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system, Roca toldMasslive.comon Monday. tag_id.innerHTML = ' Buy this Image'; Luis Antonmarchi - Conduct and Compliance Investigator - LinkedIn 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 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. 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. Locally, the city of Pittsfield has a Police Advisory and Review Board. Advocates call for more police oversight after WBUR investigation, Mass. 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. He attested that state troopers consistently call him to translate for them, as they do not have enough Spanish speakers on the force. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. According to Roca, supervisors in the department have lied on the stand. I kept yelling that they were violating our rights and they continued to search my vehicle against my will. Sgts. Find Top Holyoke, MA Police Misconduct Lawyers Near You | LawInfo He was suspended for violating the departments social media policy, which prohibits officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. Prosecutors pressed charges against him until the day he showed up for his trial, when he said they informed him they were dropping the case. }, Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. Yeah they didnt waste any time. Holyoke police officers arrived at the mall just before 7:00 p.m. for a report of shots fired. Concepcion said his experience with the HPDs internal affairs system shows that there isnt any accountability within the department. "We cannot expect people to have respect for law and order until we teach respect to those we 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. Uploaded By Greenpalace1. And he said that when he would leave the station during those three weeks, police would pull his car over. 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. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising The report, which Roca shared with the Gazette, was completed on July 2. 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. It was originally published by New England Public Media. 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. When. Many of those officers all but one of whom are supervisors collected tens of thousands of dollars last year in overtime pay. //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ' Buy this Image';
