Tiny Brookside's style of policing under Jones has become known nationally in recent weeks. But Jones was not the Chief at Brookside when he held himself out to be, using deception to disrespect that young deputy. And while sitting in court I heard that half the court was also stopped for the same thing.. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts. His car was towed with apologies from the tow-truck driver costing him several hundred dollars. About Us Contact Us Ainsworth called for a financial audit by the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts and vowed the state would investigate Brookside and towns like it. The special report concludes with six recommendations for Brookside leaders and the Brookside Police Department. 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. The conclusion reads: The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. But lawyers and law enforcement officers across central Alabama have raised questions about things in Brookside they say they have never otherwise come across. Read more stories from our Banking on Crime series: If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. It claims those involved violated the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and the Hobbs Act which makes it illegal to obstruct interstate commerce by robbery or extortion. Arrests on Brookside warrants went from zero to 243 in the span of two years, according to statistics Chief Jones presented to the council. . Mike Jones actually knew Bo when Bo was a kid in Explorers, McDonald said. 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. After I told him that I would not, he reported that they have two warrants for my arrest. 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.. Covington County's affidavit for a warrant to arrest former Brookside police chief Mike Jones. He was also ticketed for improper signal, though he cant even fathom how that might have occurred. In January of 2014 Savelle was arrested in Shelby County a county south of Birmingham that includes Helena on charges of public intoxication, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, court records show. Jones built Brooksides police department from a sleepy, one-man agency to an intimidating force of 14 between 2018 and this year. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Scott Shackford | 1.19.2022 1:20 PM. I feel bad for those guys who struggle, Perez said. He is still torn, wondering if he should have fought the town harder. 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.. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. In addition, she said, counting on fines and fees collected from people in lower income and marginalized communities only serves to punish them further. Citizen and officer safety, and protection of constitutional rights, should be among the prime goals of such training. 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. 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. The complaint alleges numerous constitutional violations, and we believe the citizens need to be protected from illegal actions by the Town of Brookside.. From 2018 to 2020, spending on police rose from $79,000 to $524,000, a 560% increase. Yet the Brookside stories come at an alarming rate. 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. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. The Justice Department is urging a federal judge to let a class-action lawsuit go forward against an Alabama town accused of policing for profit with excessive fines and aggressive enforcement of local laws. The town survives on the fringes of Birmingham with tax revenue from the Dollar General, which forms the totality of its commercial district. Officer Deshawn Mark Cook, who worked in Brookside as recently as Thursday, was arrested Friday on charges of first degree rape stemming from 2021. Eventually she was given an inhaler and treated by paramedics. It frightened her, and led to more trouble. Brookside Police Department Contact Information Address, Phone Number, and Fax Number for Brookside Police Department, a Police Department, at Main Street, Brookside AL. Please keep it more-or-less civil. Hoover police arrested Savelle for public intoxication and two counts of harassment that night, saying he was intoxicated to the point of being a danger to himself and to others. The woman told police she did wish to press charges. (Joe Songer for al.com).Joe Songer. Copyright 2022 WBRC. Mr. Bryan, as un-involved as he sounds, is as culpable as the others.. She spelled it out in her complaint to the AGs office and in notes to the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department, county commissioners and others. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Franklin said she believes the only reason she wasnt arrested was because she works for Jefferson County. The town's median household income is less than $40,000, according to demographic data. Brooksides police chief resigned in January 2022 following accusations of aggressive policing. Model policies and procedures adopted in many places around the country provide a new standard of professionalism for law enforcement organizations. Most of the time people get stopped, theyre going to get a ticket. But my behavior was right. We get calls about Brookside quite regularly because they really go outside their jurisdiction to stop people, Pettway said. By last summer, he said in a deposition, Brookside had hired eight additional full-time officers and several part-timers. Jones was a Helena police officer and president of the city council in the Shelby County town until late 2018 when, as ABC 33/40s Cynthia Gould reported at the time, he stopped coming to meetings without explanation while his personal security business ran into trouble. BROOKSIDE, Ala. (WBRC) -The town of Brookside is facing another lawsuit. Ive never seen a possession case split like that, he said. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Police put her in a patrol car and searched her vehicle for drugs. But if you want real justice, I think youll go through the process. "There is no coming back from this. In Brookside, complaints about retaliation have come time and time again, as in the case of Rev. He reported that his Police Chief was mad.. The town of Brookside, Alabama holds municipal court once a month. BROOKSIDE, Ala. (WBRC) - We're learning more about complaints against the Brookside Police Department, this time from other members of law enforcement. Those charges include possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, according to state records. Neither the mayor nor chief would talk about pending litigation, but both said they have reviewed the cases involved, including bodycam footage, and said they found no wrongdoing on the citys part. Not all of them can afford to pay their fines as he did, and some have been put on payment plans. This is extortion., The 46-page complaint claims each of the named police officers, under former police chief Mike Jones, knew that they were violating the constitutional, statutory, and common law rights of the Classes pled herein, and did so to create more revenue for the Town of Brookside so that they, in turn, could enjoy the fruits of that revenue in the form of pay, benefits, equipment, and receipt of the profits from policing as described herein.. He served a months suspension, with pay in the wake of news coverage about the arrest. In the meantime, well continue to make good on our promises to reform policing in Brookside, said Mayor Bryan on Wednesday. And its not an idle threat. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. In 2018, reporters for ABC 33/40 said they asked the former mayor of Brookside about Jones financial problems when he was hired. And it broke her heart, it broke my heart.. Its more important now than ever before that law enforcement maintain high levels of professionalism and integrity, he said. Current Mayor Mike Bryan has called for Brookside police to stop patrolling Interstate 22, except for wrecks and emergencies. Fourth, Brookside should avoid over-policing and overly broad traffic enforcement which creates the appearance of ticketing for revenue. Oftentimes, a person's decision to forgo paying a fine goes deeper, Sarathy Jones said. 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. APOST oversees police certification in Alabama. I was just looking at him like, so this is what this stop is about?. And local court officials have thrown out or called into question more than 100 cases involving Brookside police. In 2020 they came to $610,000. 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. We are not safer because of it.. She complained directly to then-Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. About a year ago, the former head of the Alabama Association of Chiefs of Police received several complaints about the Brookside Police Department. People who were detained by Brookside officers beyond a traffic stop. Will Ainsworth want to know how such a department could have existed. Terms and Conditions. Stories of how Alabama legal systems criminalize poverty. The interim chief and Town leaders announced reforms within the police department in February 2022. Mayor Bryan said he inherited a bad situation when he took over as mayor in November, and was fooled by Jones. Leadership should be aware that large-scale statistical analyses are inherently untimely and mask individual behavior. 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 23 current and former police officers conspired to take money and property from drivers. 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). Information found on CountyOffice.org is strictly for informational purposes and does not construe legal, financial or medical advice. Savelle was second in command at Brookside, which came under fire two weeks ago when an AL.com story revealed a department so intent on ticketing and criminalizing motorists that by 2020 it came to draw half the towns revenue from fines and forfeitures. State Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, who represents the area surrounding Brookside, has called for the resignation of Bryan, Municipal Judge Jim Wooten and City Attorney/Prosecutor Mark Parnell. You cant do whats going on over there.. They often say they had no idea why they were pulled over while passing near Brookside on Interstate 22. Ramon Perez felt that way as well, sitting in the courtroom and hearing defendants plead to the same charges over and over. It is what happened after the stop that is most concerning to him. What I noticed the pattern to be among us is this: If you are in the car by yourself, youre gonna get a ticket, she said. For Michelle Jones, it has been a dedicated three-year fight. 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. 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. 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. He said response times were long because Brookside often had to rely on the Jefferson County Sheriffs department for service. The issue gained prominence in the wake of the 2014 fatal police shooting of Michael Brown, a Black teenager, in Ferguson, Missouri, when a report by a St. Louis-area public defender group found that Black drivers in Ferguson were more likely to be stopped by police and local courts were abusing their power by charging high fines and fees for nonviolent offenses, sometimes leading to arrests when they went unpaid. She set out to challenge it. 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. Disparities in the rate at which drivers were stopped do not appear to be significantly different from the rate in which drivers racial and ethnic groups populate 4 Jefferson County. City officials have said they cannot comment on personnel issues, though they did provide, as part of the records request, a breakdown of officer pay. It showed that total arrests custodial, misdemeanor and felony rose 1,109% from 2018 to 2020. Seven Brookside police officers have resigned since January Published: Feb. 09, 2022, 10:00 a.m. Netta Womack tells her story about Brookside police at a town hall Tuesday February 1, 2022.. Read more stories from our Banking on Crime series: If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Subscribe to our WBRC newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email. They would not share the footage. When Jones was hired as chief in 2018, he was the only full-time police officer, he said in sworn testimony for a lawsuit filed against him and the city. He has not commented since. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Read more stories from our Banking on Crime series: If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. People stopped by Brookside police more than a mile and half outside the town limits. He lent his car to a friend, who was pulled over and arrested for drug possession. At least three bills are now before the Legislature that would affect those cities. The police in the city of Brookside basically created their own policing system and for years have been able to get away with it and as the report says they endangered the lives of citizens and they should be held accountable for it, Givan said. By 2020 Brookside made more misdemeanor arrests than it has residents. He agreed to represent his niece in her traffic case. The city is facing at least five federal lawsuits related to its policing. As more tickets brought in more money, the town began to spend much more. He said people have stories about their cars getting towed and being left on the side of the road, then being charged by both the town and the impound company to get their vehicles back, on top of daily storage fees. Because the Town is launching the independent inquiry, the February 3 and 10 monthly court sessions are postponed until a date to be determined. 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. Wattson claims he was unaware of the drugs. The interim chief and Town leaders announced reforms within the police department in February 2022. Monday afternoon former Birmingham Police Officer Montague Minnifield became at least the eighth person to sue Brookside over its police and court systems. Jetts Towing owner Wayne Jett could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. The motive was to generate revenue for Brookside.. Then-Council member Bryan was there each time the police department reported their revenues to them during council meetings. She fought it instead. Brookside Police Department leadership cast its enforcement dragnet too widely: Special Report on Brookside PD released, 2 adults, 1 juvenile charged in Kimberly kidnapping case, Cat, missing for 2 years, found nearly 1,600 miles away, police say, More parents choosing alternate education. She has watched and documented stops there. Popularity:#11 of 45 Police Departments in Jefferson County#69 of 565 Police Departments in Alabama#2,237 in Police Departments. Givan is still pushing for change in Brookside and says those responsible should be held accountable. This is at the corner of Roberta Road and Mulberry Road, which is far away from their city limits.. Alabama state rep. calls for Brookside mayor's resignation amid ticketing scandal, told the NBC affiliate WVTM in Birmingham, wake of the 2014 fatal police shooting of Michael Brown, Attorney describes 'debtors' prison' scheme targeting poor minorities. Do you understand what you are charged with? the judge asked on that first Thursday in December. They gave me a ticket for running a stop sign. I saw the same attitude in every officer and every person, he said. Turman said it critical to hold officers to a high standard. The courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. His statement said he is not taking questions. He resigned as chief of the Brookside department last week, days after AL.coms original report on Brookside. An investigator with the AG responded to her, and she spelled it out again in 2020. Officers, dressed completely in dark, unmarked uniforms approached her, and one accused her of flickering her lights to warn others of their presence, her suit alleges. Jones resigned January 25th, six days after AL.com published a story outlining Brookside policing and a court system that collected 49 percent of the towns 2020 revenue from fines and forfeitures, a practice lambasted by residents, drivers, top law enforcement officials and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. 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. Periodic review of bodycam video can be used to monitor and investigate possible profiling or other alleged misconduct. Another would bar police from using unmarked cars for traffic stops. And the police chief has called for more. She pulled to the side of the road as the SUV pulled behind her, and a wrecker simultaneously parked nearby. Hudgens told Jones about the call and gave him the mans contact information. Minnifield says he was a passenger in car stopped for driving with an improper tag, and that he was detained, among other things. He was cited for driving with a suspended license a matter he thought hed cleared up but he doesnt blame Brookside for that. The town also provided a set of police stats Jones presented to the Brookside council to push for more resources and authority. Yet Savelle was right-hand man to then-Brookside Chief Mike Jones, and since Jones was out of town during the arrest, Savelle served as acting chief when Hoover police approached him at Dave & Busters. Others werent so fortunate. They had blinders on. Find 6 Police Departments within 8.3 miles of Brookside Police Department. They own the town.. However, an initial review of the complaint reveals that any allegations of conspiracy are false and without merit and the Town vehemently denies such allegations.. John Walker was stopped in Brookside for following too closely. In May of 2019, the month Brumlow was stopped, Brookside officers ticketed 75 people for driving in the left lane. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is the police department that serves the area, where Mike Hale is the sheriff. Find 12 external resources related to Brookside Police Department. Bryan served as president pro tem of the council for years, and performed the duties of mayor during the long illness of his predecessor. His phone is not accepting calls and he did not return emails to an address listed as belonging to him. Months of research and dozens of interviews by AL.com found that Brooksides finances are rocket-fueled by tickets and aggressive policing. AL.com also sought connection through Brookside officials. Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway said the same. No communitysmall or large can do it alone. There is no trust," Representative Juandalynn Givan said. IE 11 is not supported. Dozens of people who claim they were victimized by Brookside Police have come forward to tell their stories. (Joe Songer for AL.com).Joe Songer. The officer said he would take them both to jail because she didnt have her ID. In addition, the police charged her with making a false 911 call, obstructing government operations by refusing to give proper papers, and disorderly conduct for yelling for others to come out of their homes. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. 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.. It ultimately became the reason Hudgens left her job. August 18, 2015 Aerial Videography of Brookside, Alabama Trails Five Mile Creek on the Alabama Birding Trail September 24, 2014 Brookside walkng trail has been added to the Appalchian Highlands Birding Trail web site!
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