Holyoke Police Department | Holyoke, MA 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. (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. Holyoke officer suspended for viral video alleging corruption, racism var currentLocation = window.location; Last year, a judge ruled in favor of the newspaper and ordered the city to pay $5,000 in punitive damages and $100,000 in legal fees. '"; Roca mentioned the incident in his video over the weekend. In August, the city of Holyoke hired a firm to audit its police department, including its internal affairs processes. 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. 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. After nearly a year, Reyes closed the departments investigation of the incident, saying he was unable to reach the man who complained. and affiliate links. Despite the high Puerto Rican population in Holyoke, Roca said there are not enough police officers from the community. The outstanding efforts of the men and women of the police department have resulted in a reduction in crime over the last two years. '"; The report, which Roca shared with the Gazette, was completed on July 2. Following Rocas allegations, the Gazette obtained and analyzed Holyoke Police Department records tracking overtime pay and hours. At the end of the video, Roca went on to tell viewers to seek accountability from elected officials. For this reason, the Holyoke Police department will have no further comment regarding Mr. Roca or his Case.. A newly released independent audit of the Holyoke Police Department finds the HPD poses a "substantial risk" to the city it serves. 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. 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. 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. Daily Hampshire Gazette Contests & Promotions, Daily Hampshire Gazette Evening Top Reads, Daily Hampshire Gazette Weekly Top Stories, Daily Hampshire Gazette Dining & Entertainment, Support the You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. We definitely had examples of moments where we felt we were treated differently because of our activism and there was an underlying tone of retaliation.. Another was accused of sexual assault while he was off duty. 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. HOLYOKE, Mass. 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. 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. 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. But that work hasnt fully gotten off the ground yet. 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.. 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.. ", He calls outgoing Police Chief Manny Febo "corrupt," contending minorities are routinely passed over for upper-tier assignments and disciplined at higher rates. Roca also alleged that he has been the subject of retaliation for speaking out about misconduct in the department. 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. 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. Others, he added, have managed to escape from serious instances of misconduct without any disciplinary action. We dont have that today.. Matthew Moriarty, who handles communications for the department, all failed to answer numerous email and phone messages. Rocas video has reached over 50,000 views. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Though he mentioned no names in the video, one incident Roca referred to occurred in September 2011, when police Sgt. He said: The chief saw your video and hes ordering you to take it down, Roca said. Academic studies have shown its fairly common for police departments to sustain a small percentage of civilian complaints. Who will be eaten first? 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.. The city attorney suggested that under the circumstances the city was getting off easy. 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. Holyoke Officer Rafael Roca, a former Marine hired in 2016, said in the 43-minute video . So Romero arrested him for assault and battery on a police officer. Graduated from 36th Massachusetts Police Officer . Murphy said that Roca had been on paid leave for eight months, and that the city needed to resolve that matter. Use our free directory to instantly connect with verified Police Misconduct attorneys. That part of the commissions work has yet to materialize either. Mass. police reform commission suspends 15 officers Police misconduct: Discipline records for thousands of cops uncovered (They) never investigated any of my allegations to see if I was lying, he said. And I think were allowing a lot of these police departments to be above it.. Because when you speak up and you expose corruption, he said in the video, thats what they do.. license. Audit finds Holyoke Police Department poses 'substantial risk' to city Roca had argued that the citys social media policy illegally infringed on his First Amendment rights, and that his statements were true and therefore were not defamatory. 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). 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 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.. 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. Position Type:Staff Full-time. I say what I mean, and I mean what I say, Roca said in March. In one 2013 complaint, for example, a civilian alleged they watched police officer Charles Monfett pull up next to his brother in his police cruiser and hand him a bag of pot., We also overheard how it was just recovered from someone at Jones Point, the complaint alleges. ", 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. Ill probably lose my job, but Im good. In another case filed in 2018, a city resident wrote on their complaint form: It shouldnt take over an hour to get this paperwork to file a complaint., In 2017, former Holyoke resident Janette Hernandez Pagan sued the city, claiming HPD officers beat her 12-year-old son unconscious in 2014. Nine of those 12 are in specialized assignments other than patrol operations. Holyoke Chief of Police responds to allegations of department Holyoke Police Chief Manny Febo fact-checks allegations in suspended 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. Some people who filed a complaint with the HPD said that officers actions impacted their lives long after the alleged misconduct took place. 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. Holyoke police officer accuses department of corruption 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. 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. Read about what we do with the data we gather in our Privacy Policy. A newly released independent audit of the Holyoke Police Department found the HPD poses a "substantial risk" to the city it serves. In the almost 45-minute video, Roca recounted favoritism, covering up lost and stolen weapons and other instances of corruption. And the department has yet to turn over a single investigation initiated by department supervisors or other agencies, which include allegations of everything from untruthfulness to an intercepted phone conversation revealing possible misconduct from the Hampden County jail, according to the HPDs log. 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. I want to ensure 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, he wrote. 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. GAZETTE FILE PHOTO Ernest Fontaine, Fitchburg State . 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. He said cities would have to go all in to train civilians to do that work. Mass. police officer alleges corruption within his department - Boston.com ", 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? Nobody should get away with taking the law into their own hands and being above it, he said. Service. Holyoke Chief of Police responds to allegations of department - WWLP So far, the commission has only suspended 19 officers statewide because they were either arrested, charged or indicted on a felony charge. Holyoke Police investigating after receiving two shots-fired calls in sales In March, Roca was placed on suspension after his video, which has over 56,000 views, accused officers of false overtime pay, protecting each other from punishment after misconduct and creating a culture of racism and favoritism, especially with promotions. OSHA, cannabis company reach $14k settlement in Holyoke worker's death var sellablestring2 = "STAFF PHOTO"; 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. What did Mayor Alex Morse do when Holyoke police beat a 12-year-old boy Wheres my due process in that?. 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. Roca also took issue with the fact that a Nov. 5 hearing on his case took place at City Hall without him. Play all audios: Loading. Some complaints involve allegations that police officers broke the law. Within the department, he said he had been shamed. The attorney generals office declined to comment on Tuesday. 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. She testified she complained about her sons beating, was assured the matter was being investigated but was never instructed on what other steps she could take to formally complain against police.. 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. Roca responded saying he already appealed the decision to the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission. I already knew they were going to wait until the last minute, he told the newspaper. (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 . One is a female who is being trained to investigate sensitive crimes involving children, females and domestic violence. 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. 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. Here is the list of officers: Devon Bones, Holyoke Police Department. Murphy reportedly said he felt no pressure to fire Roca before he left office. Hours per week:37.5 Weeks per year:52. 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. Roca also told the newspaper he plans to file a lawsuit over how he was treated. The handwritten log, which tracks civilian and internal complaints against officers and their conclusions, features two entries for Roca. 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. When. Iowa Police Chief arrested after selling black market military machine guns, "I'm a Cop" is a classic horror comic using real-life quotes from police departments, Transform your ideas into unique art with this CES-featured, AI art tool, now on sale for $49.99, Safely organize your devices and chargers with the CES-featured Bento Stack Charge 8000, Start your musical journey with the Populele Smart Ukulele, now only $159.99, Terms Murphy didnt have to answer to anybody. The complaints allege HPD officers engaged in misconduct ranging from brutality and bullying to discourtesy and dishonesty. Roca said that as a result, supervisors have given him a bad image that has influenced others in the department. Advocates call for more police oversight after WBUR investigation, Mass. Holyoke Police Department's 24 hour anonymous "TEXT-A-TIP" Dial CRIMES (533-TIPS or 533-8477). Roca said that the department is rife with racism. The suspended officers are listed below: Devon Bones, Holyoke Police Department Bryan Custadio, Fall River Police Department Leon Davis, Springfield Police Department Ernest Fontaine,. 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. 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. HOLYOKE, Mass. The Gazettes coverage of the incident notes that officers attempted to subdue Guyette with a stun gun as he rammed into cars attempting to escape. 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. Theyre there to protect each other, to look out for each other, and to come out with force in our community. 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. Pictured above: thumbnail of the Youtube video posted by Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. As part. Degnan said in her report that she offered him the ability to participate via telephone and that she did not receive a physicians note with sufficient detail to verify that he could not participate in the hearing. The reality is my community policing cops got a tip and they followed up on it, Neiswanger told The Republican at the time. But now he finds out if he will be charged with misdemeanor furnishing of alcohol and reckless endangerment of a. According to Roca, supervisors in the department have lied on the 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.