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Roca also said that other officers have not been fired after breaking the law driving drunk, for example losing firearms and other misconduct. The comments are concerning, erroneous, harmful, but most importantly divisive, Capt. Roca said he has already appealed that decision to the states Civil Service Commission. 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. 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. They label you a liar, he said. He also called for the FBI or the state attorney generals office to investigate the department. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Febo, who plans to retire in July, said he has nothing to hide. So far, the commission has only suspended 19 officers statewide because they were either arrested, charged or indicted on a felony charge. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated I find that the amount of force used was reasonably necessary under the circumstances, the internal investigation concluded, noting that fellow officers described Hamels initial interaction with the man as peaceful, calm and cooperative.. Roca said he was suspended for violating the departments social media policy, which bars officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. 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. The rollout hasnot been smooth, with commissioners sparring overinternal rulesandavailable resources. Last August, Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia hired the New Hampshire-based consulting firm Municipal Resources, Inc., to audit the city's police department. var currentheadline = document.getElementById("headline").innerText; 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. HOLYOKE - A Holyoke police officer recently released a YouTube video accusing the Holyoke Police Department of corruption. 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 tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph1'); If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. The handwritten log, which tracks civilian and internal complaints against officers and their conclusions, features two entries for Roca. The city attorney suggested that under the circumstances the city was getting off easy. He also called for the FBI or the state attorney generals office to investigate the department. In a legal opinion sent to Murphy, which Roca provided to the Gazette, Assistant City Solicitor Kathleen Degnan said that Rocas public statements were not protected by the First Amendment, and therefore the police chiefs order for him to remove the video was lawful. The HPD is not the only local department that rarely disciplines officers based on civilian complaints. The driver, who officers alleged smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech, turned out to be a lieutenant with the Holyoke Fire Department. Holyoke Police Captain Matthew Moriarty told Western Mass News that Holyoke police officials responded to a report of gunfire on 136 Sargeant Street around 9 p.m. on Tuesday night. (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 . Murphy said that neither the district attorneys office nor the attorney generals office ever spoke to him about any investigation of Rocas allegations. var currentLocation = window.location; I stand behind the video and what I said in it.. Schedule an appointment online for a New LTC / Firearms license. 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. 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. 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. 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.. Holyoke Massachusetts & Pennsylvania Legal Representation. He attested that state troopers consistently call him to translate for them, as they do not have enough Spanish speakers on the force. 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. 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. 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. 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. license. His video, posted Sunday, has been viewed 27,000 times. HOLYOKE Mayor Joshua Garcia announced this week that the city has hired a firm to conduct an audit of the Holyoke Police Department. In 2016, Irving Concepcion says the Holyoke police pulled him over with their guns drawn, yanked him out of his car and slammed him down on the hood. HOLYOKE, Mass. HOLYOKE, Mass. 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. 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. Advocates call for more police oversight after WBUR investigation, Mass. Neiswanger said that a tipster found the gun in an alley, and that the mayors presence was a coincidence. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); As of 2019, the estimated population was 40,117. They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system," Roca said on Monday,according to MassLive. 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. In an interview with the Republican, Febo disputed Rocas claims. 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. 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. '"; Sgts. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. Beyond changing the public records law, the 2020 police reform bill also created a new state agency, thePeace Officer Standards and Training Commission, which now tracks police departments internal investigations and can conduct its own preliminary inquiries into alleged misconduct. ", He calls outgoing Police Chief Manny Febo "corrupt," contending minorities are routinely passed over for upper-tier assignments and disciplined at higher rates. var currentheadline = document.getElementById("headline").innerText; Hed be gone by then.. tag_id.innerHTML = ''; var photocredit = "'SCREENSHOT/YOUTUBE' 'Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. Holyoke St. Patrick's Committee holds 67th Grand Video / Feb 18, 2023 / 10:41 PM EST The 70th annual Holyoke St. Patrick's Parade is now nearly a month away and at the Log Cabin Saturday . For those reasons, Reyes cleared the officers of violating department policies. Roca said he also plans to file a lawsuit over his treatment. (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. 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. Instead of arresting the driver, Monsalve, one of a number of officers who responded, decided to park the drivers car and give him a ride back home. 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. Two officers did respond to say that department policies prohibit them from speaking to the press without permission from higher-ups. 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 One person was killed during a shooting at the Holyoke Mall Saturday night, according to the Hampden County District Attorney's office. var photocredit = "'Screenshot from YouTube.' HOLYOKE A Holyoke police officer recently released a YouTube video accusing the Holyoke Police Department of corruption. Published: 11/16/2021 9:42:49 PM HOLYOKE Last week, the city's acting mayor fired a police officer who earlier this year posted a viral video on social media alleging corruption and. 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. Citizens in Holyoke, Colorado should be aware of illegal activities surrounding police brutality among their police departments and take actions against them. 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. Springfield this past year reinstituted a civilian Board of Police Commissioners to oversee the department and decide on officer discipline. 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. Play all audios: Loading. Jorge Monsalve. var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph2'); 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. Click here to sign up for our weekly coronavirus newsletter. 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