Roca said in his report that the driver attempted to back into a state trooper, at which point he fired his gun three times at the driver. (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. 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. Of those 18 officers, eight made more than $200,000. 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. When Romero put his hand on the boys shoulder and told him to go back to his classroom, Reyes said the boy smacked the officer's hand and swore at him. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. After nearly a year, Reyes closed the departments investigation of the incident, saying he was unable to reach the man who complained. Project Advances, What Happened to the Money?' 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. One of our detectives who is assigned to a task force had his task force vehicle broken into, he said. The rollout hasnot been smooth, with commissioners sparring overinternal rulesandavailable resources. 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. It should be known as Corrupt City," he said in the video. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Others, he added, have managed to escape from serious instances of misconduct without any disciplinary action. This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. Pictured above: thumbnail of the Youtube video posted by Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. Rocas video has reached over 50,000 views. Daily Hampshire Gazette Contests & Promotions, Daily Hampshire Gazette Evening Top Reads, Daily Hampshire Gazette Weekly Top Stories, Daily Hampshire Gazette Dining & Entertainment, Support the 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. Nine of those 12 are in specialized assignments other than patrol operations. They took my gun and my badge and kicked me out of the email system, Roca told Masslive.com on Monday. Despite the high Puerto Rican population in Holyoke, Roca said there are not enough police officers from the community. A vehicle was stolen in Granby, Mass., that vehicle was driven by suspects who drove around and broke into parked vehicles in driveways in South Hadley. Read the rules you agree to by using this website in our Terms I stand behind the video and what I said in it. March 9, 2021. 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. Ill probably lose my job, but Im good. 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). The analysis found that 15 officers were paid more than 500 hours of overtime in fiscal year 2020, including four of the departments five highest-paid officers, who earned hourly overtime rates ranging from $94 to $109 an hour. var currentLocation = window.location; Now, he said, one of his sons was on pain medication because of the force Romero used to arrest him. It's Boston local news in one concise, fun and informative email. The reality is my community policing cops got a tip and they followed up on it, Neiswanger told The Republican at the time. }, Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. He also mentioned that he was fired right before Joshua Garcia was sworn in as Holyokes mayor on Monday. 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. and affiliate links. 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 also suggests the state attorney general or the FBI should look into his claims against Febo and the department. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Terrill said that often, complaints arent sustained because civilians have a misperception about what is, and isnt, a violation of department policy. 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. But the police reform bill changed that, clarifying that those investigations are not personnel records. sites. Roca said a police captain called him about a day after he posted the video. The police, for me, was used as a reminder to stay in my place. 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. In 1894 the New York State Senate launched the first comprehensive investigation of corruption in the NYPD. Mr. I stand behind the video and what I said in it.. 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. When told of NEPMs findings that only three officers had civilian complaints sustained against them over a decade, Valentin said shes not surprised. 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. if (photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring2) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring3) > -1 || photocredit.indexOf(sellablestring4) > -1) { Boing Boing uses cookies and analytics trackers, and is supported by advertising, merchandise But now he finds out if he will be charged with misdemeanor furnishing of alcohol and reckless endangerment of a. Another was accused of sexual assault while he was off duty. In August, the city of Holyoke hired a firm to audit its police department, including its internal affairs processes. Mayor Alex Morse said in a statement that he could not comment on a personnel matter. 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. var currentheadline = document.getElementById("headline").innerText; But that work hasnt fully gotten off the ground yet. var currentLocation = window.location; '"; Compare the best Police Misconduct lawyers near Holyoke, MA today. He was suspended for violating the departments social media policy, which prohibits officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. Roca had been with the department since 2015. Suspected. Locally, the city of Pittsfield has a Police Advisory and Review Board. That transparency has been slow to arrive, however. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. ", 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? N/A civilian complaints of police misconduct. HOLYOKE, Mass. The driver, who officers alleged smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech, turned out to be a lieutenant with the Holyoke Fire Department. 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. One is a female who is being trained to investigate sensitive crimes involving children, females and domestic violence. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). Last August, Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia hired the New Hampshire-based consulting firm Municipal Resources, Inc., to audit the city's police department. Some complaints involve allegations that police officers broke the law. sales All rights reserved, FIRST ALERT: Storm Hitting Greater Boston Live Radar, Updates. HOLYOKE Mayor Joshua Garcia announced this week that the city has hired a firm to conduct an audit of the Holyoke Police Department. tag_id.innerHTML = ''; He saidthat ultimately there was sufficient cause to terminate Roca. 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. He also called for the FBI or the state attorney generals office to investigate the department. Roca said he was suspended for violating the departments social media policy, which bars officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBRocaHolyokeFiring-hg-111721,ph1'); During the debate, City Councilor Jos Maldonado Velez referred to the police as a gang., It literally is, he said in the meeting. It was originally published by New England Public Media. In his video, Roca references alleged abuse of overtime pay. 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. 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. Roca then went on to accuse current Holyoke Police Chief, Manny Febo, of being a corrupt police officer. 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. When Massachusetts lawmakers passed a sweeping police reform law in late 2020, one of the bills provisions opened up law enforcement misconduct investigations to greater scrutiny under the states public records law. //var LBtag_id = document.getElementById('buylinkLBHolyokePD-hg031021,ph1'); In an interview with NEPM, Maldonado Velez said his critique of the police department is not about individual officers but rather the system of policing.