Pictured above: thumbnail of the Youtube video posted by Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca. Image courtesy by Kate Turner ‘21.
By Ella White ‘22
Staff Writer
On March 7, Holyoke police officer Rafael Roca posted a video on YouTube alleging racism and corruption by the Holyoke Police Department. 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.
In the almost 45-minute video, Roca recounted favoritism, covering up lost and stolen weapons and other instances of corruption. According to Roca, supervisors in the department have lied on the stand. He says he was consistently singled out for vocalizing his opposition to the police chief, made to repeat pieces of training and attacked via email for not supporting one supervisor’s protest against police reform.
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. 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.
Within the department, he said he had been shamed. “When you are someone who speaks up about injustice and about corrupt police officers, they label you as a liar, they label you as a dirty police officer, they label you as someone who is untrustworthy,” he said.
Despite the high Puerto Rican population in Holyoke, Roca said there are not enough police officers from the community. He attested that state troopers consistently call him to translate for them, as they do not have enough Spanish speakers on the force.
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.
Febo said that Roca misportrayed some examples of lost or stolen weapons. 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.”
Roca’s video has reached over 50,000 views. Roca said he hopes the Massachusetts government will audit the department. He expressed frustration that former Mayor Alex Morse did not do enough to address issues of racism during his tenure.
“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 what’s right,” he said.