He and members of the town council complained of. Chief Jones testified under oath that just one of the 10 Brookside vehicles is painted with police striping, but nine others bear no emblems, and seven are tinted all the way around, making it impossible to see inside. It showed police in 2020 patrolled 114,438 miles in the 6.3-mile town and issued more than 3,000 citations a 692% increase from 2018. The town faces several state investigations, and has brought in outside help to rebuild the department. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Leadership should be aware that large-scale statistical analyses are inherently untimely and mask individual behavior. Related: Pastor, sister say rogue police force sought revenge. One, by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur would force cities to make the amount of fines and fees they collect public. A report quoted in the suit claimed she tighten (sic) arm muscles from getting handcuff (sic).. Dedicated to documenting the apparent corruption of the Town and Police of Brookside, Alabama. Walker told the judge he will fight the charge. Hed been stopped for rolling the stop sign, which he disputes, and speeding, which he also disputes. The The Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts released an audit into Brookside in the Spring of 2022. "The Town of Brookside is committed to reforming our police department and setting a new standard for community policing in Brookside and Alabama," says Bryan. Wattson claims he was unaware of the drugs. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts. BROOKSIDE, Ala. The police chief of a northern Alabama town resigned Tuesday amid allegations that he set up an aggressive traffic trap that by 2020 accounted for nearly half of the town's . A court worker told her she would have to plead guilty or go to driving school. Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, talks to reporters about reports of police abuses in the town of Brookside, which is in her Jefferson County district. Netta Womack tells her story about Brookside police at a town hall Tuesday February 1, 2022. She is unsure if he called the man. Which is exactly what the town is banking on, according to those who have watched Brookside grow into one of Alabamas biggest, most troublesome traffic traps. Jones blamed the lawsuits on ambulance-chasing attorneys.. The deputy described a Brookside badge with a chief indicator at the bottom. That contributed a 14% chunk of the citys total income, a number that would be considered high in much of America. He was charged with misdemeanor possession, but also five counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, for: The names of the officers were not listed on the tickets in secretive Brookside. I saw the same attitude in every officer and every person, he said. And a Brookside man told AL.com police in the town pulled him over with blue lights and told him there would be consequences if he posted more about the police on Facebook. Its more important now than ever before that law enforcement maintain high levels of professionalism and integrity, he said. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). A small jar that once may have held marijuana, And a small tray that might have been used to roll a joint, reported just 55 serious crimes to the state in the entire eight year period between 2011 and 2018, Pastor, sister say rogue Alabama police force sought revenge, This Alabama county fastens ankle monitors on hundreds who arent convicted of crimes, Life on an ankle monitor in Alabama: $10 a day and inevitable imperfections, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Copyright 2022 WBRC. Givan said this time she especially wants to hear from women. His phone is not accepting calls and he did not return emails to an address listed as belonging to him. Do you understand what you are charged with? the judge asked on that first Thursday in December. soon after reports of the small towns aggressive policing, AL.com detailed how the department preyed on drivers. Find agency contact, demographics, type, population served and more. BROOKSIDE, Ala. (WBRC) - WBRC confirmed Mike Jones resigned as Brookside Police Chief. The courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. I think its one of those situations that could possibly bring in the feds with some oversight, he said. Savelle was 32 at the time of his Hoover arrest, and was shown to have previous arrests for public intoxication, DUI, public lewdness, as well as multiple drug charges, the Hoover report said. Mike Jones actually knew Bo when Bo was a kid in Explorers, McDonald said. "Brookside will continue to cooperate with all appropriate authorities to ensure that a full investigation of these issues are completed," he said. I dont condone it, but you know, Im not the chief out there.. Thats a 1,478% increase, with 1.7 tows for every household in town. He reported that his Police Chief was mad.. originally filed on behalf of Cory Thomas, AL.com in January reported how Brookside used fines and forfeitures, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. There were two cars and one SUV that surrounded my car and police were everywhere, she wrote. Brookside has operated its police and court system with the primary objective of obtaining revenue from motorists traveling on or near Interstate-22, Harris lawyers wrote in a suit filed last year. Theres no way I was going to run that stop sign.. Brookside State: Alabama Zip Code: 35036-2000 County: Jefferson County Phone #: 205-674-9275 Fax #: 205-674-9547. The lowest-paid officers made $12 an hour. It ultimately became the reason Hudgens left her job. She was not speeding, or breaking the law, she argued in the suit. He said he also represented a woman who was stopped in 2019 for driving in the left lane of I-22, which was not technically a crime, and accused police of using a "false left-lane violation" to ensnare motorists. Like those on Dec. 2. Periodic review of bodycam video can be used to monitor and investigate possible profiling or other alleged misconduct. Second, the town would likely benefit from a relationship with a research organization to provide annual information on the existence of any red flags detected in statistical trends and patterns. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. This analysis suggests that whites receive substantially more favorable treatment with respect to warnings than other groups.. It did not feature a breakout of the police department. If you had more officers and more productivity youd have more, Jones said. It may cost some money to go through that process, he said. Perform a free Brookside, AL public property records search, including property appraisals, unclaimed property, ownership searches, lookups, tax records, titles, deeds, and liens. People who had their vehicles towed and impounded by Jetts Towing after a traffic stop. For most of the past decade it saw little crimeonly 55 . Ramon Perez came to court last month ready to fight the tickets hed been handed by Brookside police, including one for rolling through a stop sign and another for driving 48 mph in a 40 zone. "You're taking the money for them to potentially get that light fixed by making them pay a fine.". You may not use this site for the purposes of furnishing consumer reports about search subjects or for any use prohibited by the FCRA. Savelle pulled out a Brookside Police Department badge before Hoover officers arrived, according to the report that cited witnesses and the presence of cameras. Alabama Senate candidate Lisa Ward said ex-Chief Jones tried to intimidate her in a social media message after she shared the AL.com story on Facebook. Citizen and officer safety, and protection of constitutional rights, should be among the prime goals of such training. Officials from the examiners office were believed to visit Brookside last week. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. I should have brought a lawyer, but right now my time is not there, he said. She had an asthma attack and a panic attack, but when she knocked on the door to alert a guard, a jailer said if she continued to knock she would be charged with attempting to escape. It's a story that is really egregious and heinous for a variety of reasons.". Yet the town with no traffic lights collected $487 in fines and forfeitures in 2020 for every man, woman and child, though many of those fined were merely passing by on I-22. Others werent so fortunate. Mayor Bryan said he inherited a bad situation when he took over as mayor in November, and was fooled by Jones. By 2020 Brookside made more misdemeanor arrests than it has residents. Advocates for justice reform, cops in other jurisdictions, even Jefferson Countys top law enforcement officials, have begun to question the towns tactics, and its need for an expanding force. Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway said the same. Jones, accompanied by his lawyer, Corey Bryan of Andalusia, turned himself in at the Covington County Jail on Monday, Covington County Sheriff Blake Turman said. I just knew that I did not want to be part of a workplace that did such low-down things.. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. He built the department from a one-man operation to a ticket-hungry department with 10 blacked-out vehicles, two drug-sniffing dogs and a riot control vehicle. Brookside officials this afternoon said in a statement that the Tahoe is registered in Jones name and does not belong to Brookside. Lt. Gov. It went from towing 50 vehicles in 2018 to 789 in 2020 each carrying fines. There is no trust," Representative Juandalynn Givan said. Dawson also represents Victoria Brumlow, a young woman who like hundreds more was stopped on I-22 and ticketed for driving on the left lane of the interstate. It is the second time in four days a former Brookside police officer has been jailed. BROOKSIDE, Ala. - For the first time since bombshell reports regarding practices from Brookside Police department surfaced, the City Council held their monthly meeting Monday night.During the meeting, Interim Police Chief Henry Irby addressed the public on his vision for the department going forward. The town of Brookside, Alabama holds municipal court once a month. First, it should avoid racial profiling and selective enforcement. Lawyers for eight people who say they were wronged by Brookside police on Wednesday filed an amended complaint in Alabama, arguing the town, the towing company it used to seize vehicles, and. The resignations include former chief Mike Jones, who built the tiny towns department from a one-man agency in 2018 to one that, according to data the town provided to AL.com in response to a public records request, included 13 full time officers and two reserves. For Michelle Jones, it has been a dedicated three-year fight. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Thats 49% of the small towns skyrocketing revenue. Erik Ortiz is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital focusing on racial injustice and social inequality. Its not about making a dollar, Jones said. Police stacked fines on them, often towed their cars and generated revenue that went right back into the police department. In 2018, when the town had one full-time police officer and a few part-timers, it reported no serious crimes to the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center. John Walker was stopped in Brookside for following too closely. The Brookside Police Department is located on Municipal Drive, and the Chief of Police is Jason Springfield. The growth has come with trouble to match. BROOKSIDE, Ala. (WBRC) - We're learning more about complaints against the Brookside Police Department, this time from other members of law enforcement. "What if $150 is the cost of choosing between feeding my child, getting their medicine or paying this ticket?" He wanted to speak to someone who could take his badge.. He was very upset about what happened, she said. All rights reserved (About Us). During his time as a council member, Mike Bryan voted for and helped to pass ordinances strengthening the Brookside Police Department in addition to passing city budgets with revenues increasing over 600%, she said. I feel bad for those guys who struggle, Perez said. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WIAT) As the Brookside Police Department debacle continues, the call for Mayor Mike Bryan and other leaders to resign still rings among those who have been victims by the city's officers. The transformation of Brookside's police department began in 2018, under the direction of long-serving and now late Mayor Roger McCondichie. The AGs office this week would not confirm or deny to AL.com the existence of any case involving Brookside. The resignation follows an investigative report by al.com. Brookside Police Department Contact Information Address, Phone Number, and Fax Number for Brookside Police Department, a Police Department, at Main Street, Brookside AL. Police advocates, including Alabama Rep. Allen Treadaway, a Republican from Morris who was an assistant police chief at Birmingham and a Fraternal Order of Police leader, said a person with such a past should never have been hired as a police officer at all. Sarathy Jones said the issues in Brookside should be a warning for towns and small cities to examine their revenue sources and ensure their local governments aren't turning to law enforcement as moneymaking arms. The news outlet found that Jones positioned officers to stop motorists so aggressively that income from traffic fines and forfeitures rose 640 percent from 2018 to 2020, from about $82,000 to more than $610,000. Brookside, which in 2018 had one full time police officer, now parks a riot control vehicle townspeople call it a tank outside the municipal complex and community center. Smart, targeted strategies administered in an even-handed fashion will maximize results and public support for Brookside. It was something that I should not have been stopped for, Brumlow said in sworn testimony. Arrests on Brookside warrants went from zero to 243 in the span of two years, according to statistics Chief Jones presented to the council. The special report concludes with six recommendations for Brookside leaders and the Brookside Police Department. Over 200 people packed into the new Jefferson County Sheriffs Office Training Facility building to voice their complaints about aggressive policing by the Brookside Police Dept. But Brookside revenues from fines and forfeitures soared after that, and the towns law-enforcement goals and its reputation changed. People who were stopped by Brookside police and fined more than the state allows. In 2020, she had explained her case this way to the AGs office: The person threatened me with an arrest if I did not take down my Facebook pictures and posts of their police officers, stop sending emails to the local politicians, as well as others, and show them (Brookside police) that I understand law enforcement practices.. Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones, who spearheaded the change and grew the police department tenfold, at least, calls the towns policing a positive story. Mayor Mike Bryan a former councilman who assumed his position last year after the death of the previous mayor sits and nods in agreement. Brookside police officers in sworn depositions indicated they did not follow drivers for a full mile and a half before or after the new law was passed, and they continued to write tickets under the old law after the new road rage bill passed. Officer Deshawn Mark Cook, who worked in Brookside as recently as Thursday, was arrested Friday on charges of first degree rape stemming from 2021. But on Wednesday morning, she said, she got a call from the Alabama Attorney Generals investigator who had worked the case after her complaint was filed in 2019. "Their whole financial existence starts to spiral, and it was all over a light on their car not working.". About Us Contact Us Sandra Jo Harris, a 52-year-old grandmother, claims in a lawsuit she pulled off I-22 at Cherry Avenue on Jan. 8, 2020, as she often did when she went to visit her daughter. AL.com found court records that detail a string of financial troubles for Jones, as state and federal lawsuits reveal employees, lawyers, creditors and others who claim Jones company, Event Operations Group, did not pay them or failed to live up to obligations. I cant stand them., In a statement today, Turman said In this case, we had a young deputy that was trying to be respectful to a supposed veteran officer and gave him a break. Pettway also said issues with Brookside could draw the attention of the federal government. They gave me a ticket for running a stop sign. Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham has demanded the resignations of Bryan, Brookside City Attorney Mark Parnell and Municipal Judge Jim Wooten. Allan Armstrong, one of a group of lawyers who filed the complaint, said Brookside violated basic American rights. The deputy gave him a professional courtesy verbal warning and sent him on his way. And local court officials have thrown out or called into question more than 100 cases involving Brookside police. Before the hiring blitz, Brookside's one full-time officer and several part-timers patrolled the city and its stretch of Interstate 22, writing tickets worth about $82,467 in fines. Over the last several months, the Brookside Police Department has faced scrutiny over its ticketing practices, as well as alleged corruption. If you want to go out there and do something like that, you are creating a law., Perez said the officer went absolutely crazy over her lack of ID. Police Trap, she posted in June of 2019. Another woman, Emily Sierra, emailed AL.com to say she was pulled over in Brookside three years ago for a single flash of her lights to warn oncoming traffic about a speed trap. Brookside Police Department in Brookside, Alabama, get driving directions from your location, Birmingham Police Department - North Precinct, Department Of Public Safety Highway Patrol Post - Birmingham, Jefferson County Pistol Permits & Gun Licenses, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Most Wanted Sex Offenders, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Offender Search, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Website, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Website (Alabama), Brookside public safety & filing complaints, Brookside Police Department jobs and employment. That whites receive substantially more favorable treatment with respect to warnings than other groups over light! And sent him on his way 692 % increase from 2018 four days a former Brookside police Chief and... Its reputation changed small towns skyrocketing revenue for a variety of reasons ``. Goals of such training get that light fixed by making them pay a fine. `` from 50. 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