City Councilor Israel Rivera talks at a recent City Council meeting on Dec. 16.
Photo credit: Holyoke Media
HOLYOKE — Holyoke City Councilor Israel Rivera has caught the attention of two unions that represent the Holyoke Police Department after his OUI arrest on Dec. 20.
Rivera was arrested and charged with operating under the influence of alcohol. He pleaded not guilty to the OUI and two civil motor vehicle infractions, failure to stop and speeding. Rivera will have a pretrial hearing on Jan. 26.
The letter from the unions cites that Rivera’s incident on Dec. 20 is documented in an official Massachusetts State Police report and was reportedly captured on Massachusetts State Police body-worn cameras.
The letter cites that during the encounter, Rivera allegedly made statements invoking his elected position and mentioning his authority over police funding. The police report states, in part, “I’m a City Councilor, you can’t really work with me? and “That’s fine, I’ll just cut the budget,” and “Everyone else gets a pass, but I don’t?”
It is also reported that Rivera used offensive racial slurs during this incident, including statements that are deeply troubling and inconsistent with the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion, according to the letter from the unions.
Holyoke Police Department Lieutenant Andrew DiNapoli, who also serves as the president Holyoke Police Supervisors Union, Local #409, talked to Reminder Publishing about the letter that was sent.
The Holyoke Police Supervisors’ Union, Local #409, and the Holyoke Police Patrolmen’s Union, Local #388, submitted a two-page letter to the officials of the city for an advisory ethics opinion regarding Rivera’s continued participation in matters directly affecting the Holyoke Police Department.
The letter was delivered to Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia, City Solicitor Lisa Ball, City Councilor President Tessa Murphy-Romboletti and Holyoke Police Chief Brian Keenan to ask their opinion if Rivera should still be serving on the Public Safety Committee or making any decisions relating to the Holyoke Police Department.
Rivera was recently voted to become the first City Council vice president in Holyoke’s history on Jan. 5 after the inauguration ceremony.
The letter states that if accurately reported, the actions of Rivera raise serious concerns regarding the appearance of bias, retaliation or animosity of law enforcement.
With Rivera participating in deliberations and votes involving police staffing levels, department oversight and funding, both unions felt the continued participation may be a conflict of interest and may undermine the public’s confidence in fair and impartial governance; undermine the perceived legitimacy of police funding, staffing and oversight decisions, and undermine labor relations between the city of Holyoke and its public safety employees.
Both police unions request written ethical guidance as to whether Rivera’s continued participation in police-related matters presents an actual or apparent conflict of interest, and written guidance as to whether recusal from police-related votes, discussions, or oversight responsibilities would be appropriate to safeguard impartiality and public confidence.
The police unions have also reached out to the state ethics commission. DiNapoli said the unions are giving the city “a week or so” to respond. If they don’t hear back, they will host a press conference on the matter.
DiNapoli added they do not want Rivera removed from the City Council, but they want to see him removed from the Public Safety Committee and any other committees that may have direct dealings with the Police Department. They also do not want to see him allowed to vote at all on any Holyoke Police Department matters.
In a comment to Reminder Publishing, the Holyoke Police Department said they are referring all communication on the matter to the mayor’s office.
Garcia released a statement asking for ethical guidance regarding Rivera’s personal issue and whether his participation on the council will have an effect on the operations of the Holyoke Police Department.
“I want to clarify that the responsibility for providing such guidance lies with the commonwealth of Massachusetts or the union’s own legal counsel,” Garcia stated. “While the union seeks guidance on Councilor Rivera’s personal matters and their potential impact, I reaffirm that such issues do not influence the daily operations or effectiveness of the Holyoke Police Department. Our department remains committed to its mission, and under Chief Keenan’s leadership, we continue to make measurable progress in community safety. I encourage the union to seek the appropriate legal or governmental guidance and appreciate their ongoing support as we work to serve and protect our community.”
Rivera did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reminder Publishing.
