The two police unions in Holyoke are calling for the resignation of City Councilor Israel Rivera after releasing edited body camera footage of his drunk driving arrest by state troopers in December.
In the footage, Rivera attempts to persuade officers to release him. He also claims that other local officials would not have been arrested.
"I'm not asking you to let me go because of who I am... it is discretion. You don't have to put me in jail because of this," Rivera can be seen and heard saying in the body cam footage. "If it was the [expletive] chief of [expletive] ... if it was the sheriff, y'all would never do this."
The unions say his behavior was unacceptable for an elected official.
In a statement, City Council President Tessa Murphy-Romboletti says she has removed Rivera from the Public Safety Committee to maintain public trust.
NEPM did reach out to Rivera, but he declined to comment while his case is being litigated.
Rivera is not the only Holyoke City Councilor who has faced drunk driving charges. Longtime Councilor David Bartley lost his license for 45 days after an arrest in 2017. Bartley remained a councilor until he was voted out in the November 2025 elections.
