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. Joshua Garcia was sworn in as Holyokes 45th mayor on Monday. In court filings, Pagans lawyer called the HPDs process of reviewing civilian complaints baroque, pointing to the fact that James Neiswanger, who was the police chief at the time, said in a deposition that before complaints were investigated, an administrator reviewed them to determine if they had merit., Hernandez Pagan attempted to file a complaint, the lawsuit alleged. Tagged: Holyoke, Rafael Roca, Holyoke Police Department, Manny Febo, YouTube, Ella White, Pioneer Valley, Italian professors departure would mean end of Italian major and minor programs, Students mobilize against the rise in tuition costs/tuition increase, Holyoke police officer suspended after alleging corruption. It was not there to help me.. His video, posted Sunday, has been viewed 27,000 times. 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. 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. Roca was suspended with pay Tuesday as Holyoke police pursue an internal investigation, he said. Reyes, Police Chief David Pratt and Capt. 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. 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. Concepcion alleged that he returned again and again for hours at a time until an HPD supervisor finally interviewed him three weeks later. Its a problem within our commonwealth and it will continue to be a problem until we have an administrative agency that has teeth, that has enforcement power, that can punish municipalities and agencies when they withhold records improperly, Pyle said. All rights reserved (About Us). A newly released independent audit of the Holyoke Police Department finds the HPD poses a "substantial risk" to the city it serves. Speaking to the Gazette, he alleged he has worked on grant-funded shifts during which supervisors who were supposed to be working were nowhere to be found the entire shift.. Of the remaining 34 non-minority officers in this group, 18 are in a specialized assignment. ", He calls outgoing Police Chief Manny Febo "corrupt," contending minorities are routinely passed over for upper-tier assignments and disciplined at higher rates. I am a Latino. I plan to fight this to the end. They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system," Roca said on Monday,according to MassLive. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected the youngest mayor of Holyoke at age 22. 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. 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. Roca said that the department is rife with racism. Here is the list of officers: Devon Bones, Holyoke Police Department. Massachusetts officer alleges corruption within department 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. His video, posted Sunday, has been viewed 27,000 times. 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. In an interview, POST Commission Executive Director Enrique Zuniga said the agencys investigations will eventually come before the full commission, which can go so far as to decertify officers found to have violated state standards a career-ending type of decision, Zuniga said. He was suspended for violating the departments social media policy, which prohibits officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. Alex Benjamin Morse (born January 29, 1989) is an American politician who served as the 44th mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts from 2012 to 2021. 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. Last August, Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia hired the New. Concepcion is not the first to allege that the HPD resisted taking his complaint. But for Concepcion, the man who alleged police abused their authority pulling him over in 2016, thats exactly the kind of work Holyoke and other cities should be doing. Febo also issued a statement on the matter, and said while he would not be commenting on the internal personnel matter that is ongoing, he did take the opportunity to address some of the allegations and give facts., Febo said with regard to the allegation that the department covered up stolen and/or lost rifles, the incident in question took place 10 years ago and was fully investigated by [the] previous chief, discipline meted out, and every step was reported publicly at that time., Additionally Febo referenced the claim regarding a detective that had his vehicle and weapon stolen, which was covered up. 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, Mass. Holyoke Chief of Police responds to allegations of department - WWLP He also called for the FBI or the state attorney generals office to investigate the department. AMHERST Amherst Police Chief Scott Livingstone will retire in May after nearly 14 years leading a department he joined upon graduating from AMHERST Unions at the University of Massachusetts are contending that more than 100 state jobs, and their accompanying benefits, are being WALTERBORO, S.C. One of the last pieces of a legal dynasty that doled out justice in rural South Carolina for decades crumbled Friday as lawyer WASHINGTON President Joe Biden exudes confidence as the next race for the White House approaches.During last months State of the Union address Holyoke police officer parks in the train station on Main Street on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. 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. 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. Carla Sinclair 11:00 am Tue Mar 9, 2021. They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system, Roca said during an interview at the time. 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.. Massachusetts Officer Alleges Corruption Within Department In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area. Yeah they didnt waste any time. var sellablestring2 = "STAFF PHOTO"; After Customers Paid Large Deposits for Home Projects, Contractor Files for Bankruptcy, How Much Snow Has Fallen in Your Area So Far, The House Where JonBenet Ramsey Was Found Dead Is Listed for Sale at Nearly $7M, FIRST ALERT: Wintry Mix Keeps Falling as Storm Hits New England (Live Radar). Click here to sign up for our weekly coronavirus newsletter. Records obtained under new Mass. law show Holyoke police dismiss nearly Roca claimed that Manny Febo, the first Latinx police chief in Holyoke, has targeted him and other employees by refusing them positions and recognition for their work. Three of those officers claimed more than 800 overtime hours that year, and another claimed more than 1,200 hours. School Holyoke Community College; Course Title ENGLISH 1301; Type. The work of setting up a review board is difficult and time-intensive, Terrill said. Our forum rules are detailed in the Community Guidelines. 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. Former Brockton RMV manager, driving school owner charged by U.S. Attorney with giving passing test scores to people who failed, Complete Boston payroll for 2022: Your Tax Dollars at Work, Boston drug trafficker set to do 11 years in prison, give up Louis Vuitton bags, feds say, Union drive: Uber, Lyft drivers rally for right to unionize, Boston sees first open race for Suffolk Superior civil court clerk magistrate in nearly 50 years, High school tournaments: Winchester stuns No. They would just tell me to just stop doing what I was doing, its not going to go nowhere, its only going to cause me more hardships and problems, Concepcion said. March 15, 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 He said: The chief saw your video and hes ordering you to take it down, Roca said. One complaint for rudeness was not sustained by an investigation. Read about what we do with the data we gather in our Privacy Policy. Office Location: 57 Suffolk St. Suite 200 Holyoke, MA 01040 Call Us '"; var sellablestring3 = "STAFF FILE PHOTO"; Yeah, they didnt waste any time. 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. Im very confident that something is going to come of it, he said. He said that the officer had allegedly been instructed to give him remedial training on how to apply a tourniquet. This, he said, was a result of an incident in late January in which he had responded to an incident that resulted in a stabbing and been praised by his coworkers. But now he finds out if he will be charged with misdemeanor furnishing of alcohol and reckless endangerment of a. City hires firm to audit Holyoke Police Department Holyoke police officers arrived at the mall just before 7:00 p.m. for a report of shots fired. When told of NEPMs findings that only three officers had civilian complaints sustained against them over a decade, Valentin said shes not surprised. It goes back as long as anyone can remember, he said in the video. Contained within the civilian complaints against HPD officers are allegations ranging from the mundane to the criminal, including accusations that officers violently beat suspects, swore at civilians, used racial slurs, fabricated charges and abused their power. 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. Citizens in Holyoke, Colorado should be aware of illegal activities surrounding police brutality among their police departments and take actions against them. Holyoke Massachusetts & Pennsylvania Legal Representation. Not one time did they respond to a call, not one time were they on the radio, he said. How do cops view themselves and their work? Leon Davis, Springfield Police Department. 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. In the departments investigation, police said they pulled him over for running a stop sign, then tried to tow his car after learning his license was suspended and registration revoked. 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 . Uploaded By Greenpalace1. The HPDs log of complaints and internal investigations contains no evidence the department ever opened an internal investigation into the incident. He expressed frustration that former Mayor Alex Morse did not do enough to address issues of racism during his tenure. Holyoke Police Department's 24 hour anonymous "TEXT-A-TIP" Dial CRIMES (533-TIPS or 533-8477). Mass. police officer alleges corruption within his department - Boston.com 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. With that said, I will not be commenting on the internal personnel matter that is ongoing.. Bryan Custadio, Fall River Police Department. He has since been suspended for refusing to take the video down. 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. Alex Morse - Wikipedia //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ' Buy this Image'; Current Police Chief David Pratt suspended Roca in March and then recommended that the mayor terminate Roca. Roca, however, claimed that somebody stole the gun from Harts house during a party. license. Reyes ultimately exonerated Romero. The complaints allege HPD officers engaged in misconduct ranging from brutality and bullying to discourtesy and dishonesty. In fact, a year later, Valentin filed a civilian complaint against an HPD officer over his rudeness to her at the scene of a car crash involving her wife treatment Valentin alleged was related to her political stances. "I'm here to make this video to expose the corruption, and the lies, and the injustice that is taking place within the police department in Holyoke, Massachusetts," he says at the start of the video. Holyoke police officer parks in the train station on Main Street on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. 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. 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. 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. The suspended officers are listed below: Devon Bones, Holyoke Police Department Bryan Custadio, Fall River Police Department Leon Davis, Springfield Police Department Ernest Fontaine,. . Advocates call for more police oversight after WBUR investigation, Mass. Wine Alan v City of Holyoke - Massachusetts One officer was accused of using his siren at a drive-thru window to get his ice cream more quickly. I stand behind the video and what I said in it.. }. var sellablestring3 = "STAFF FILE PHOTO"; (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. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring2) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring3) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring4) > -1) { Roca said that as a result, supervisors have given him a bad image that has influenced others in the department. NEPM also contacted all of the police officers mentioned in this story via email or phone. Of those 18 officers, eight made more than $200,000. Febo, who plans to retire in July, said he has nothing to hide. v. Civil Service . 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. 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. I stand behind the video and what I said in it.. For this reason, the Holyoke Police department will have no further comment regarding Mr. Roca or his Case.. var photocredit = "'SCREENSHOT/YOUTUBE' 'Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. In his video, Roca references alleged abuse of overtime pay. Febo, who plans to retire in July, said he has nothing to hide. For those reasons, Reyes cleared the officers of violating department policies. But some will be missing, Mass. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. var sellablestring = "GAZETTE STAFF"; Play all audios: Loading. Roca had been with the department since 2015. In an interview last week, Garcia said he planned to follow through with an assessment of the police department, later adding: This is not an investigation, its an assessment.. He was deployed to Bosnia from 2003-2004 where he worked with anti-corruption and security forces. Thank you! Roca said a police captain called him about a day after he posted the video. 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..
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