Thats according to William Terrill, a professor at Arizona State University's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. 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. He noted that he was terminated in the final days of Murphys tenure as acting mayor. The incident was fully investigated by previous chief, discipline meted out, and every step was reported publicly at that time, he wrote. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring2) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring3) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring4) > -1) { Officers have. I stand behind the video and what I said in it.. Some people who filed a complaint with the HPD said that officers actions impacted their lives long after the alleged misconduct took place. HOLYOKE, Mass. Nine of those 12 are in specialized assignments other than patrol operations. That is roughly 75% of minority officers with 8 years or more [of experience] in specialized assignments. Febos statement added, The Holyoke Police Department has a Chief, 2 Lieutenants, and 4 Sergeants who are minority in the department command staff.. 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 department. Roca said he also plans to file a lawsuit over his treatment. Carla Sinclair 11:00 am Tue Mar 9, 2021. Concepcion alleged that he returned again and again for hours at a time until an HPD supervisor finally interviewed him three weeks later. On Nov. 10, then acting mayor Terence Murphy followed that recommendation after a city lawyer determined there was just cause for firing Roca. Myrick was originally elected when he 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. Suspected. 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. var tag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkHolyokePD-hg031021,ph1'); N/A civilian complaints of police misconduct. Among Roca's more generalized allegations, he called out the department for: a. The father said in his complaint that his boys had been through a lot of trauma made worse by now living in a homeless shelter, and that as a result they didnt always react to what they were told to do. The city attorney suggested that under the circumstances the city was getting off easy. Febo addresses the allegation that minority officers are not given opportunity for specialized assignments, as Roca said in his video that minorities are underrepresented in specialized positions. Manuel Febo, a Holyoke native who grew up in the. tag_id.innerHTML = ''; 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. 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 department. Reyes the internal affairs officer found the officers actions justified and proper, and consistent with standard protocols for crash-scene response and safety. 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. When. Two of the civilian complaints that NEPM obtained alleged that police violently arrested students in the citys schools. It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. All rights reserved, FIRST ALERT: Storm Hitting Greater Boston Live Radar, Updates. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring2) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring3) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring4) > -1) { Thank you! A second, by the Firearm Review Board, lists Roca as exonerated.. The reality is my community policing cops got a tip and they followed up on it, Neiswanger told The Republican at the time. Febo, according to Roca, allegedly promoted a friend to the position of provisional lieutenant. He expressed frustration that former Mayor Alex Morse did not do enough to address issues of racism during his tenure. NEPM also contacted all of the police officers mentioned in this story via email or phone. They label you a liar, he said. Mr. 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. Roca said that as a result, supervisors have given him a bad image that has influenced others in the department. Daily Hampshire Gazette Contests & Promotions, Daily Hampshire Gazette Evening Top Reads, Daily Hampshire Gazette Weekly Top Stories, Daily Hampshire Gazette Dining & Entertainment, Support the //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ''; Roca had been with the department since 2015. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph1'); They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system," Roca said on Monday,according to MassLive. Last August, Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia hired the New. 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. 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 March 15, 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. Work Schedule:Monday through Friday Department Summary & Job Purpose: The Assistant Vice President for Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator is a key leader of the College's equity and compliance work and an essential member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team centered around creating an inclusive campus community . 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. 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. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. var photocredit = "'SCREENSHOT/YOUTUBE' 'Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. "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. 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 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. Now, he said, one of his sons was on pain medication because of the force Romero used to arrest him. In March, Rafael Roca, who had been a Holyoke police officer since 2015, posted the video to YouTube, where it has since been viewed more than 56,000 times. Not one time did they respond to a call, not one time were they on the radio, he said. He was suspended for violating the departments social media policy, which prohibits officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. NEPM has obtained a decades worth of civilian complaints against HPD officers and the departments own internal investigations of them. Of those 18 officers, eight made more than $200,000. The chief did, however, address several of the allegations Roca made in the video. HOLYOKE, Mass. 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. Each police department documented the incident and can be retrieved easily., Febo then addressed the incident in which Roca referred to an officer involving an alleged intentional boat accident. When you speak up and when you expose corruption, thats what they do. 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.. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The report, which Roca shared with the Gazette, was completed on July 2. 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. var sellablestring = "GAZETTE STAFF"; 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. I did exactly what I was trained and paid to do but people on my watch had a problem with that because they like to sleep in their cruisers overnight; they dont want to work.. Daily Hampshire Gazette. A newly released independent audit of the Holyoke Police Department found the HPD poses a "substantial risk" to the city it serves. 540K subscribers in the Bad_Cop_No_Donut community. Because Roca has filed an appeal, the state Civil Service Commission will now determine whether his discipline will stand. Last fall, five of the remaining six members of the board quit after they wereblocked from reviewing the police department's internal reporton the police killing of city resident Miguel Estrella. NEPM also obtained a handwritten log tracking all 156 investigations of its own officers the department conducted during those 10 years, including those initiated not by civilian complaints but by superior officers. Citizens in Holyoke, Colorado should be aware of illegal activities surrounding police brutality among their police departments and take actions against them. var photocredit = "'GAZETTE FILE PHOTO' 'Holyoke police officer parks in the train station on Main Street on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. ", He calls outgoing Police Chief Manny Febo "corrupt," contending minorities are routinely passed over for upper-tier assignments and disciplined at higher rates. Graduated from 36th Massachusetts Police Officer . 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.. 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. Out of the 92 times an officer was named in a civilian complaint, HPDs top brass only sustained, or upheld, allegations against an officer three times: a dispatcher who received a verbal warning in 2012 when she was accused of rudeness, an officer who received a verbal warning after he released a 14 year olds booking photo to the press in 2018, and another officer who received additional training in 2013 after a group of civilians accused her of swearing at them and referring to them as illegals.. Roca also claimed in his video that recently, a police officer had his car stolen with guns and equipment inside. He alleged that the car was found in Hartford, but the guns and equipment were missing. robson communities complaints,