I have never been in any trouble only had one speeding ticket. The release said the town has no further comment on Jones's resignation since it involves a "personnel matter." Over the last several months, the Brookside Police Department has faced scrutiny over its ticketing practices, as well as alleged corruption. Hed been stopped for rolling the stop sign, which he disputes, and speeding, which he also disputes. 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 showed police in 2020 patrolled 114,438 miles in the 6.3-mile town and issued more than 3,000 citations - a 692% increase. Sorry for the typo, the mayor wrote. She said she tried to record the interaction after three officers in two vehicles pulled her car over, but an officer with a valknot symbol a Norse sign sometimes appropriated by white supremacists on a ring and one of his gun clips confiscated her phone. After I told him that I would not, he reported that they have two warrants for my arrest. We dont like writing tickets.. 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. story of how the tiny town turned to aggressive ticketing to build a ballooning police force that came to provide half the towns revenue. The town announced his departure in a statement, but would not comment further. 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. Subscribe to our WBRC newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email. Police Trap, she posted in June of 2019. He was released after posting $20,000 bail. 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. In another case, Brookside police last year confiscated a 2014 Honda Civic owned by a man named Sean Wattson, even though Wattson was not driving and was not in the car, according to a lawsuit he filed against the town. A former judge appointed to investigate claims of police abuses in the tiny Alabama town of Brookside, just north of Birmingham, has found a pattern of bullying that preyed on the poor and. It showed that total arrests custodial, misdemeanor and felony rose 1,109% from 2018 to 2020. One, by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur would force cities to make the amount of fines and fees they collect public. Jones said crime when he took over was higher than it appeared from numbers the town reported to the state. 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. 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. Michelle Jones, of Forestdale, has fought the Brookside police department for three years. Mr. Bryan, as un-involved as he sounds, is as culpable as the others.. Givan said this time she especially wants to hear from women. I was just looking at him like, so this is what this stop is about?. CNN's Nick Valencia. He swore hed seen the cop from a distance and was careful as he braked. For most of the past decade it saw little crimeonly 55 . Then this month the Brookside department posted on Facebook that it had hired six more officers in an effort to expand our dedication and commitment to provide superior community service & protection.. She was not speeding, or breaking the law, she argued in the suit. For context, Birmingham city would have to more than triple the size of its force to equal a ratio of that in Brookside. The Alabama Legislature this session passed a bill in response to Brookside that would cap at 10 percent the amount of revenue from fines and fees that a municipality can take in. The complaint seeks to establish four classes of people who were stopped and extorted by the town of Brookside, Jetts Towing Co. or the officers. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. He was very ugly from the start.. Johnson, though it is unclear if Brookside had a Detective Johnson. Hudgens, who lives in Brookside, said she is concerned for her town. It has had a continued practice of stopping and ticketing scores of vehicles daily, doing so without probable cause or reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing.. Related: Pastor, sister say rogue police force sought revenge. Her lawyers argue that the city uses obscure possible violations to justify stopping and searching passersby, hoping to add more offenses in a sort of highway lottery to fill the coffers. It is the second time in four days a former Brookside police officer has been jailed. From 2018 to 2020, spending on police rose from $79,000 to $524,000, a 560% increase. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. [Montgomery, Alabama] Former Brookside Police Chief Dennis Ray McCoy, 53, of Dora, was recently convicted of several charges stemming from investigation by the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI), including using his official position for personal gain, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, obtaining criminal offender record information under false pretenses, and computer tampering. A Peace Officer sworn in the State of Alabama can enforce the law anywhere in the State of Alabama, he wrote in an email. Its not about making a dollar, Jones said. The deputy has since also issued a speeding ticket to go along with the impersonation charge.. There's no greater way in which your rights can be infringed than by becoming prey to. 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. In a report published by AL.com, figures pointed to half of the town's revenue had come from an increase in fines and forfeitures, including officers taking property during traffic stops. "Brookside is a continuation of that story almost 10 years later. Brookside's police chief resigned in January 2022 following accusations of aggressive policing. Minnifield says he was a passenger in car stopped for driving with an improper tag, and that he was detained, among other things. Third, police leadership and individual officers would likely benefit from training focused not only on racial profiling, but also on overall traffic enforcement strategy. ABC 33/40s Cynthia Gould reported at the time. Police charged Harris with flickering her lights or nuisance of casting lights from motor vehicle on real property at night, which she argues did not happen and eventually was dropped. Michelle Jones made an official complaint to the Alabama Attorneys Generals office three years ago, arguing that Brookside police stopped her out of jurisdiction, issued a bogus citation and threatened her with more charges after she criticized them on Facebook. No communitysmall or large can do it alone. Mayor Bryan dismissed the complaints of those who must appear in court. Brookside Police Department Contact Information Address, Phone Number, and Fax Number for Brookside Police Department, a Police Department, at Main Street, Brookside AL. She was also charged with resisting arrest. All rights reserved. I wouldnt be surprised if they opened up an investigation. 2023 County Office. About Us Contact Us The courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. Not speeding, not swerving, just using the left lane. The AGs office this week would not confirm or deny to AL.com the existence of any case involving Brookside. Third party advertisements support hosting, listing verification, updates, and site maintenance. AL.com published a story outlining Brookside policing, , former Lt. James Bo Savelle III, resigned Jan. 31. says he was a passenger in car stopped for driving with an improper tag, and that he was detained, among other things. 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 officers have been accused in lawsuits of fabricating charges, using racist language and making up laws to stack counts on passersby. Thats a 1,478% increase, with 1.7 tows for every household in town. Outside the jail this morning, the lawyer told Blaine Wilson of WAAO News in Andalusia that Jones is innocent and he will prove it in court. They've also been accused of using racist language in a community that is majority white, but also has a Black population of nearly 25 percent and a small but growing Latino population. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. A third calls for guidelines on how cities and towns handle municipal courts. The Brookside Police Department, located in Brookside, Alabama is a law enforcement agency that has been granted specific police powers in Jefferson County. 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. The town of Brookside confirmed that Chief Mike Jones resigned from his position in a brief press release Tuesday afternoon. The town faces several state investigations, and has brought in outside help to rebuild the department. Which is another problem altogether, Sheriff Pettway said. Perform a free Brookside, AL public property records search, including property appraisals, unclaimed property, ownership searches, lookups, tax records, titles, deeds, and liens. 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. There are only 1,253 people in Brookside, and one store, the Dollar General. You may not use this site for the purposes of furnishing consumer reports about search subjects or for any use prohibited by the FCRA. I should have brought a lawyer, but right now my time is not there, he said. Brookside police made 4.4 arrests in 2020 for every household. Judge Wooten said he would not resign, and referred questions to the prosecutor. The next day she spoke to the husband of the woman who complained to Hoover police. She pulled to the side of the road as the SUV pulled behind her, and a wrecker simultaneously parked nearby. Audits by Philip Morgan & Co., covering at least five consecutive years, pointed out as a shortcoming that the town did not have a budget or a policy of adopting one annually. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts.. After learning of those statements, Rep. Givan again said the three need to resign. 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. Yet the Brookside stories come at an alarming rate. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Time after time they say they were pulled over by multiple officers in multiple vehicles for minor charges such as expired tag or following too closely, that they were searched, towed, and forced to pay large fines for violations many say they did not commit. 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. Leadership at every level of government is required to make our cities and towns safer. In the meantime, well continue to make good on our promises to reform policing in Brookside, said Mayor Bryan on Wednesday. Mike Jones, former police chief in the troubled Alabama town of Brookside, was arrested today on felony charges of impersonating a peace officer during a traffic stop in south Alabama. Neither the police nor the town have responded to questions since the original story ran. Asked why that was the case, Bryan responded there had been an error, that the heading for the Municipal Court Fund was actually the police department budget. The town now faces 13 lawsuits. 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. 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. He waved it around the restaurant, in front of customers and staff. They seek damages against the individual police officers for wrongful fines, forfeitures, and arrests, including mental anguish damages., In trying to establish a conspiracy, the complaint contends that the town of Brookside, its court and its officers, exist to extract the payment of unlawful fines from the people.. She turned on her lights, according to her lawsuit, because of the approaching darkness. Drivers, both in responding to the stories and in a town hall held last week to address police and court concerns, have complained of bullying, intimidation, detention, retribution, threats, racial profiling, and charges made up of whole cloth to stack fines on drivers, among other things. In 2020 they came to $610,000. Officer Deshawn Mark Cook, who worked in Brookside as recently as Thursday, was arrested Friday on charges of first degree rape stemming from 2021. Stephanie Franklin, a Jefferson County employee, told AL.com she was a passenger in a car stopped last year for an expired tag. A judge set Halls fines at $6,000, and he had to post $12,000 bond while he appealed the case, an amount Weinberg considered excessive, and one that would prevent defendants without money or support from arguing their cases in state court. The caller identified himself as a Det. 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. The officer went on to say any more backlash like that towards his police department and itll be far worse than a ticket., I just stared at him, the man said. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. What happens is when it gets to be so egregious, when you go a little bit too far and you take it to an extreme as the city of Brookside did, it just wasnt about selective enforcement, it becomes routine, Givan said. Asked in December how many officers were on staff, he refused to say, citing security concerns, though police staff sizes are reported regularly to the government for public consumption. Jetts Towing owner Wayne Jett could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. They had blinders on. Brandon McDonald, another former dispatcher the first hired by Brookside after Chief Jones took over in 2018 and created the position said Jones had a long association with Savelle. Savelle made $15.82 an hour, and all others made less. Ive been irritated in these comments that come from Mike Bryan, McDonald said. He resigned as chief of the Brookside department last week, days after AL.coms original report on Brookside. Brookside Police Department of Brookside, AL spotted in the Jefferson County Sheriff Department District at Roberta Road and Cherry Avenue., And in July, Brookside Police Department of Brookside, AL operating outside its city limits. Ainsworth, also a Republican, told AL.com that his office would look at legislative options to determine how to prevent towns from taking advantage of drivers passing through on highways, a problem lawmakers acknowledged is happening across the state. But an officer grabbed the phone and threw it to the ground, breaking it, the lawsuit says. Wattson claims he was unaware of the drugs. He feels the police saw him as prey, and treated him as such. But fines and. The Brookside Police Department is located on Municipal Drive, and the Chief of Police is Jason Springfield. Its more important now than ever before that law enforcement maintain high levels of professionalism and integrity, he said. I clearly did not run the stop sign as I had just seen them sitting on top of I-22 overpass. The city is facing at least five federal lawsuits related to its policing. Oftentimes, a person's decision to forgo paying a fine goes deeper, Sarathy Jones said. He returned to his job as second in command with consent of the town council, Hudgens said. So it was a bit of a moral outrage because I had sat in court three times now and it was no longer a mistake., This was an intentional policy of the city and my niece just happened to get caught up in it and happened to challenge it. Find Brookside residential property records including property owners, sales & transfer history, deeds & titles, property taxes, valuations, land, zoning records & more. Information found on CountyOffice.org is strictly for informational purposes and does not construe legal, financial or medical advice. Most of the time people get stopped, theyre going to get a ticket. in the wake of news coverage about the arrest. Perez is angry at his treatment. "Even if you legitimately stop someone because they need a light on their car fixed, if you give them a ticket, how does that meet the goal that a person's car be made safer?" The town of 1,253 just north of Birmingham reported just 55 serious crimes to the state in the entire eight year period between 2011 and 2018 none of them homicide or rape. 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). State Representative Juandalynn Givan isnt surprised by the report. They let her out of jail at midnight, long after her family had made bond. Hudgens told Jones about the call and gave him the mans contact information. Perez ultimately decided to pay the $1,100 fine on top of hundreds hed already spent to get his towed car back and get the heck out of Brookside. Jones could not be reached for comment on this report. I could take over the whole county with numbers like that, he joked. Suggest Listing Those charges include possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, according to state records. Do you understand what you are charged with? the judge asked on that first Thursday in December. Because the Town is launching the independent inquiry, the February 3 and 10 monthly court sessions are postponed until a date to be determined. At least three bills are now before the Legislature that would affect those cities. Will Ainsworth, have said Brookside and towns that use overly aggressive policing to fill their coffers must change. Jones was stopped on April 12 by a Covington County deputy after being clocked driving 78 mph in a 55 zone on Alabama 55 south. 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