And 99% of them are lying.. Careful examination of individual officer behavior is also important. Everybodys got a story, he said. Brookside, Alabama, a former mining community of about 1,250 with a median household income less than $40,000, has no traffic lights and only a handful of two-lane roads, yet it raked in so much revenue from traffic fines and forfeitures in 2020, it amounted to almost half of its $1.2 million municipal budget. BROOKSIDE, Ala. (WBRC) - A special report regarding racial profiling in the Town of Brooksides Traffic Enforcement Program was released by the city-appointed investigator, former Circuit Court Judge Ken Simon. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. We had no knowledge of Mike Jones whereabouts after his resignation January 25, Mayor Mike Bryan said. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. CNN's Nick Valencia. All rights reserved (About Us). Neither the police nor the town have responded to questions since the original story ran. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. One of those visions: increasing officer pay to $18 per hour with better benefits in order . Instead, the arresting officer was listed as Agent JS, while the assisting officer was Agent AR.. He said the case remains active and under investigation, and he is trying to determine if the Chevy Tahoe that Jones was driving once belonged to the town of Brookside. 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! 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. Privacy Policy (Joe Songer for al.com).Joe Songer. Its very uncertain as a citizen of Brookside now.. We dont like writing tickets.. 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. Simon led an in-depth and months long investigation into whether officers in the Brookside Police Department participated in racial profiling. Stories of how Alabama legal systems criminalize poverty. Allan Armstrong, one of a group of lawyers who filed the complaint, said Brookside violated basic American rights. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The Town of Brookside forced Plaintiffs and the Plaintiff classes to give up their property and pay illegal fines through fear, intimidation, and under color of official right by imposing fines not authorized by law, seizing property without the legal right to do soand by threat of jail time unless illegal fines were paid or property unlawfully forfeited, the suit says. 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. She was not speeding, or breaking the law, she argued in the suit. Popularity:#11 of 45 Police Departments in Jefferson County#69 of 565 Police Departments in Alabama#2,237 in Police Departments. The city is facing at least five federal lawsuits related to its policing. Ultimately another officer took Perez to his friends house to retrieve her ID, he said. I was scared to death even though I was doing nothing wrong.. When he declared bankruptcy in 2019, Jones owed $300,000 in tax liens and $2.2 million in total claims. 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. The Town of Brookside participates in the affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, it says. Perez is angry at his treatment. Michelle Jones, of Forestdale, has fought the Brookside police department for three years. They let her out of jail at midnight, long after her family had made bond. Mayor Mike Bryan late Wednesday said there was no conspiracy, The Town has just been made aware of this amended lawsuit, Bryan told AL.com. The town of Brookside, Alabama holds municipal court once a month. ABC 33/40s Cynthia Gould reported at the time. She paid the $160 ticket and began to make her case through emails to public officials, complaints, a television interview and elsewhere. It parked a riot control vehicle townspeople call it a tank outside the municipal complex and community center. They gave me a ticket for running a stop sign. Arrest powers are not confined to city limits or jurisdictional boundaries except within the State of Alabama.. It ultimately became the reason Hudgens left her job. called for a financial audit by the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts, Mike Bryan has called for Brookside police to stop patrolling Interstate 22, 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, Givan and Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway want to hear more, and will hold a town hall meeting, Police in this tiny Alabama town suck drivers into legal black hole, 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. She is unsure if he called the man. 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). But if you want real justice, I think youll go through the process. Copyright 2022 WBRC. He decided to plead guilty and pay the fines after seeing how others were treated. We are not safer because of it.. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. I have never been in any trouble only had one speeding ticket. In fact, they said in November they didnt know how that money is spent. Written with the support of Columbia Universitys Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights. Dawson argued in a lawsuit against Brookside and Chief Jones that Brookside has continuously used the false left lane violation as a reason to stop and detain hundreds of motorists. This is shocking, said Crowder. She pulled to the side of the road as the SUV pulled behind her, and a wrecker simultaneously parked nearby. His statement said he is not taking questions. 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. The town survives on the fringes of Birmingham with tax revenue from the Dollar General, which forms the totality of its commercial district. The AGs office this week would not confirm or deny to AL.com the existence of any case involving Brookside. Brookside police gave her a ticket in May of 2019 for running a stop sign at Roberta Road and Cherry Avenue across I-22 from Brookside. Franklin said she believes the only reason she wasnt arrested was because she works for Jefferson County. "This city is a ticking, ticking time bomb waiting to explode," state Rep. Juandalynn Givan, who has called for other town officials to resign, told the NBC affiliate WVTM in Birmingham. He waved it around the restaurant, in front of customers and staff. Updated 5:15 p.m. May 2 to add Brookside response. Third party advertisements support hosting, listing verification, updates, and site maintenance. Officer Deshawn Mark Cook, who worked in Brookside as recently as Thursday, was arrested Friday on charges of first degree rape stemming from 2021. 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. John Walker was stopped in Brookside for following too closely. The charges against Savelle were misdemeanors, meaning they wouldnt necessarily disqualify him from being certified as a police officer in Alabama, even if he had been convicted. Starting on Page 3 of the report Simon wrote, Our analysis of Brooksides traffic citations did not produce strong statistical evidence of racial profiling in traffic stops. 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). Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, and GOP Lt. Gov. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. Police Trap, she posted in June of 2019. (Joe Songer for AL.com).Joe Songer. People who had their vehicles towed and impounded by Jetts Towing after a traffic stop. Minnifield says he was a passenger in car stopped for driving with an improper tag, and that he was detained, among other things. I was the one that informed him that Mike Jones was in Washington D.C. and that Bo was the acting chief.. He stated that I issued threats, incited a riot, and slandered the Brookside Police Department in my Facebook posts. He informed me that my case was never closed, said Jones, who lives in Forestdale near Birmingham. Brookside Police did patrol the 1.5-mile stretch of Interstate 22 within their jurisdiction and wrote tickets that brought in $82,467 in fines. He said response times were long because Brookside often had to rely on the Jefferson County Sheriffs department for service. Former Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones was arrested May 2, 2022 in Covington County, Ala., charged with impersonating a police officer. Stories from people stopped in the ticket-happy town continue to roll down like an avalanche, since AL.com last week published the story of how the tiny town turned to aggressive ticketing to build a ballooning police force that came to provide half the towns revenue. "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?" They often say they had no idea why they were pulled over while passing near Brookside on Interstate 22. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. "Brookside is a continuation of that story almost 10 years later. The Brookside Police Department is located on Municipal Drive, and the Chief of Police is Jason Springfield. His car was towed with apologies from the tow-truck driver costing him several hundred dollars. Lawyer Martin Weinberg had a client in Brookside, a young man named Thomas Hall, who was stopped for speeding and found with a small amount of marijuana. after AL.coms original report on Brookside. 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. I think its one of those situations that could possibly bring in the feds with some oversight, he said. (Joe Songer for AL.com).Joe Songer. All rights reserved (About Us). Video above: Federal class action lawsuit filed against Town of Brookside, police officers Advertisement But Brookside revenues from fines and forfeitures soared after that, and the towns law-enforcement goals and its reputation changed. The towns own investigator said police under Jones sought out those who they believed could not put up a fight poor people in particular, and those who had previous run-ins with the law. Such an appearance is created when a vastly disproportionate number of citations are issued given the towns population, and a high number of citations involve minor mechanical and traffic offenses. Brookside Police Department is in the Police1 Law Enforcement Directory. Will Ainsworth want to know how such a department could have existed. It may cost some money to go through that process, he said. EOG was set up to provide security services for athletic events and other gatherings. Brookside Police Department. The primary function of the Police Department is deterring crime, stopping crimes in progress, investigating crimes, and serving as first responders for emergencies and situations that threaten public safety. 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). The special report concludes with six recommendations for Brookside leaders and the Brookside Police Department. He is still torn, wondering if he should have fought the town harder. Vincent Witt and his sister, Tareya, Chief Jones tried to intimidate her in a social media message, Police in this tiny Alabama town suck drivers into legal black hole, 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. Savelle on Monday resigned from the Brookside Department, hours after AL.com asked city officials about his past. Town leadership should be proactive in providing oversight, accountability, and checks and balances in the Departments management and ensure that police operations comply with regulatory, judicial, ethical, and financial safeguards. At Brookside municipal court, the courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. Theres no way I was going to run that stop sign.. He seems to want to push the blame off on everybody else when he and (former mayor) Roger McCondichie both appointed Mike Jones knowing about his past. But Savelle would not be fired. Brookside is a poster child for policing for profit, said Carla Crowder, the director of Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, a nonprofit devoted to justice and equity. Hudgens told Jones about the call and gave him the mans contact information. Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham has demanded the resignations of Bryan, Brookside City Attorney Mark Parnell and Municipal Judge Jim Wooten. Many of the complaints regarding how police enforced traffic stops centered around officers pulling people over outside their jurisdiction and even police jurisdiction signs posted beyond city limits. Brookside, just north of Birmingham, already faces at least 10 lawsuits about its policing. The officer said We have had people stop and record us, she said, like it explained his actions.. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. See also: Savelle among those sued by preacher who claimed Brookside revenge. However, Jones resigned or was let go from Brooksides police department on Jan. 25, soon after reports of the small towns aggressive policing drew the attention of state lawmakers and local officials. Perez is Hispanic, and his passenger was a Brookside resident, also Hispanic, who didnt have her purse with her, Perez said. Bill Dawson, a lawyer in Birmingham, said he's had about two dozen people contact him with allegations, but for years, many have been too reluctant to complain. Brookside's police chief resigned in January 2022 following accusations of aggressive policing. We dont have a law that says if you dont have ID, you go to jail, he said. Another town hall is scheduled for Thursday at 6 pm at Birminghams Carver High School. Jetts Towing owner Wayne Jett could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. Jones says she was polite to the officer, but was convinced the ticket was unfounded and given outside the Brookside police jurisdiction. 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. Mr. Bryan, as un-involved as he sounds, is as culpable as the others.. And the police chief has called for more. held the first town hall, in which 200 people gathered, Police in this tiny Alabama town suck drivers into legal black hole, 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. For most of the past decade it saw little crimeonly 55 . Its unheard of.. 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). Officer Deshawn Mark Cook, who worked in Brookside as recently as Thursday, was arrested Friday on charges of first degree rape stemming from 2021. 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.. All rights reserved. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts. He lent his car to a friend, who was pulled over and arrested for drug possession. In May of 2019, the month Brumlow was stopped, Brookside officers ticketed 75 people for driving in the left lane. Yet the Brookside stories come at an alarming rate. No one can objectively look at this and conclude this is good government that is keeping us safer.. The interim chief and Town leaders announced reforms within the police department in February 2022. He said hed like to see even more growth in revenue from fines and forfeitures. Tuesday February 1, 2022. All Rights Reserved. Ramon Perez felt that way as well, sitting in the courtroom and hearing defendants plead to the same charges over and over. 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