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. The police are policing themselves., Maldonado Velez is not the first city councilor who has come under fire from Holyokes police unions. 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. He said that Febo and others have stepped in to prevent him from getting jobs with other police departments. It took the HPD more than a year and a half to turn over its 69 internal investigations, all of which the department redacted to remove information about the person alleging misconduct. Screenshot from YouTube. 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. As of March 9, Roca has been suspended from the department due to his violation of a rule prohibiting officers from criticizing the department on social media platforms. A second, by the Firearm Review Board, lists Roca as exonerated.. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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. School Holyoke Community College; Course Title ENGLISH 1301; Type. 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 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 . Because Roca has filed an appeal, the state Civil Service Commission will now determine whether his discipline will stand. The 69 complaints that NEPM obtained are just the ones that civilians managed to file with the HPD in the first place. Febo, who plans to retire in July, said he has nothing to hide. The driver, who officers alleged smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech, turned out to be a lieutenant with the Holyoke Fire Department. Febo did not use any names in his statement, but addressed an incident 10 years ago where rifles were lost. 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. For those reasons, Reyes cleared the officers of violating department policies. var photocredit = photocredit.toUpperCase(); 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. 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. var currentheadline = document.getElementById("headline").innerText; var currentLocation = window.location; OSHA, cannabis company reach $14k settlement in Holyoke worker's death . And in Amherst, records show that during a 12-year period, theAmherst Police Department investigated 16 civilian complaints; in only one of those cases did an officer face discipline. In it, he alleged that superior officers falsify overtime pay, have protected each other from punishment for misconduct and have fostered a culture of favoritism and racism when it comes to promotion. You have been subscribed to WBUR Today. He attested that state troopers consistently call him to translate for them, as they do not have enough Spanish speakers on the force. According to the Holyoke Fire Department, at approximately 8:30 p.m . Im very confident that something is going to come of it, he said. HOLYOKE - A Holyoke police officer recently released a YouTube video accusing the Holyoke Police Department of corruption. That is roughly 53 percent of non-minority officers with eight years or more who are assigned to specialized assignments., Additional he said there were 38 officers total with six years or less of full-time experience, Of those 38, 17 are minority officers. license except where otherwise noted. Roca was immediately placed on administrative leave as the department conducted an internal investigation. I am a Latino. //LBtag_id.innerHTML = ''; 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 . 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. Play all audios: Loading. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Now that Roca has filed an appeal, the Civil Service Commission will decide whether the termination holds up. The stolen vehicle was later recovered in Hartford, CT and one of the vests and some K9 gear was recovered. He was reelected three times, with his final term expiring in January 2022. | Danielle Eatondeaton@thereminder.com, An officer with the Holyoke Police Deparment recently released a YouTube video, which contained allegations of corruption within the department.Reminder Publishing photo by Danielle Eaton. I dont think the mayors office is the right place to do a criminal investigation of the police, Murphy said when asked whether the city had investigated Rocas claims. The suspended officers are listed below: Devon Bones, Holyoke Police Department Bryan Custadio, Fall River Police Department Leon Davis, Springfield Police Department Ernest Fontaine,. Jorge Monsalve. Internal affairs is corrupt as can be, Roca said in his video. All rights reserved (About Us). (WWLP) - The Holyoke Fire Department was sent to Hampshire and Maple Streets for a car accident on Friday. 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. The agency still has not released that data because of the need to clean up and validate the massive data set, according to Zuniga. Office Location: 57 Suffolk St. Suite 200 Holyoke, MA 01040 Call Us 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. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. That decision was made after aHolyoke police officer publicly alleged corruptionwithin the HPD and aDaily Hampshire Gazetteinvestigation found whatsome characterized as excessive overtimein the department, including among some of its highest-paid officers. Pyle told NEPM that police departments and other public agencies will continue to withhold records or slow-roll their release until lawmakers improve the states public records law, which many have criticized as one of the least transparent in the country. Leon Davis, Springfield Police Department. Not a single person from City Hall or city government reached out at all, he said. The complaints allege HPD officers engaged in misconduct ranging from brutality and bullying to discourtesy and dishonesty. So Romero arrested him for assault and battery on a police officer. 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. Position Type:Staff Full-time. All rights reserved (About Us). Officer Leahy made up a substantial portion of his report, the man wrote. The city attorney suggested that under the circumstances the city was getting off easy. 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. An officer ripped his work ID off his neck, he alleged, throwing it to the ground and saying, F--- your program.. In one 2011 complaint, a civilian alleged that during a traffic stop that involved Officer Jared Hamel, police held a gun to the civilian's head and knocked him unconscious, after which officers stomped on his face and dislocated his jaw. Whos policing the police? he asked. Roca had been with the department since 2015. 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. We dont have that today.. The incident was fully investigated by previous chief, discipline meted out, and every step was reported publicly at that time, he wrote. 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.. 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 Rafael Roca alleges there iscorruption and racism in the Holyoke Police Department. Graduated from 36th Massachusetts Police Officer . 8. Ill probably lose my job, but Im good. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.