Still, police seized his car, and refused to return it, though they didnt begin official forfeiture proceedings. 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. The special report concludes with six recommendations for Brookside leaders and the Brookside Police Department. 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. Franklin said she believes the only reason she wasnt arrested was because she works for Jefferson County. [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. He agreed to represent his niece in her traffic case. This is at the corner of Roberta Road and Mulberry Road, which is far away from their city limits.. But if you want real justice, I think youll go through the process. 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. Scott Shackford | 1.19.2022 1:20 PM. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Total town income more than doubled from 2018 to 2020 from $582,000 to more than $1.2 million as fines and forfeitures rose 640%. Leadership should be aware that large-scale statistical analyses are inherently untimely and mask individual behavior. Ultimately another officer took Perez to his friends house to retrieve her ID, he said. If you had more officers and more productivity youd have more, Jones said. As we have seen, overly aggressive traffic enforcement is not the way forward. The release said the town has no further comment on Jones's resignation since it involves a "personnel matter." The military-styled vehicles have already been returned to the State, our police cars have been re-striped, and the Town is investing in new, easily identifiable uniforms for the police officers., Civil RICO case filed again by John Archibald. She argued that she only drove in the left lane to pass other vehicles, and her ticket on May 26, 2019 came five months before Alabamas Anti-Road Rage Act, a law making it illegal to drive in the left lane of an interstate for more than a mile and a half, went into effect. Police put her in a patrol car and searched her vehicle for drugs. A Hoover officer wrote that Savelle had his Brookside badge and a gun in his pocket, though he initially lied about being armed when asked by officers.. Oftentimes, a person's decision to forgo paying a fine goes deeper, Sarathy Jones said. Will Ainsworth has requested an audit of Brooksides town and police force, and lawmakers across party lines have called for bills to help curb small-town policing for profit on Alabama Interstates. In a statement, Brookside City Attorney Mark Parnell said that as the local prosecutor, he has "strived to ensure" only police charges with merit moved forward or were otherwise dismissed. 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. They would not share the footage. His phone is not accepting calls and he did not return emails to an address listed as belonging to him. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts.. 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). Its a former mining town, its population about the same as it was a decade ago. I saw the same attitude in every officer and every person, he said. I dont condone it, but you know, Im not the chief out there.. And it broke her heart, it broke my heart.. Johnson, though it is unclear if Brookside had a Detective Johnson. APOST oversees police certification in Alabama. The town faces several state investigations, and has brought in outside help to rebuild the department. 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. People who were stopped by Brookside police and fined more than the state allows. The courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. Another town hall is scheduled for Thursday at 6 pm at Birminghams Carver High School. We had no knowledge of Mike Jones whereabouts after his resignation January 25, Mayor Mike Bryan said. Leadership at every level of government is required to make our cities and towns safer. The affidavit says Jones told the Covington deputy he was the chief in Brookside, a town a couple hundred miles north, just past Birmingham. It was nearing dusk, and as she drove into the neighborhood she didnt think much about the unmarked black SUV with tinted windows on the side of the road. called for the second town hall meeting this week. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit, originally filed on behalf of Cory Thomas, are Thomas; Tinetta Jackson; Keyarah Smith; Ben Blackwell; James Donahue; Gerald Smith; Brittany Todd; and Zachary Harris. Not for speeding, or running a stop sign, or any violation. Allan Armstrong, one of a group of lawyers who filed the complaint, said Brookside violated basic American rights. Pettway also said issues with Brookside could draw the attention of the federal government. 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. The real trouble for Michelle Jones began as she started posting on her Facebook page when she saw Brookside police stopping people in places she thought were out of bounds. Additional Information. Theres no way I was going to run that stop sign.. 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. Between April 2018 and June 2020, they handed out 406 of those tickets, or about 15 a month, according to documents filed in the lawsuit. About Us Contact Us YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. State agents last week began an inquiry and audit into the Brookside Police Department to find out whether it and its officers complied with state laws and regulations, according to a statement from Chief R. Alan Benefield, executive secretary of the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission. 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. 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.. Savelle on Monday resigned from the Brookside Department, hours after AL.com asked city officials about his past. He said response times were long because Brookside often had to rely on the Jefferson County Sheriffs department for service. Careful examination of individual officer behavior is also important. Brookside Police Department. "What if $150 is the cost of choosing between feeding my child, getting their medicine or paying this ticket?" 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.. 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. See also: Savelle among those sued by preacher who claimed Brookside revenge. she added. In the meantime, well continue to make good on our promises to reform policing in Brookside, said Mayor Bryan on Wednesday. In fact the woman her name is redacted in the report told police she turned around and hit him after Savelle snuck up behind her and grabbed her buttocks.. Find 6 Police Departments within 8.3 miles of Brookside Police Department. 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. 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. 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. Video above: Federal class action lawsuit filed against Town of Brookside, police officers Advertisement Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. The town's median household income is less than $40,000, according to demographic data. He was released after posting $20,000 bail. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Tuesday February 1, 2022. I saw him and we looked eye to eye, the Chelsea business owner 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. 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 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. The deputy described a Brookside badge with a chief indicator at the bottom. Find Brookside residential property records including property owners, sales & transfer history, deeds & titles, property taxes, valuations, land, zoning records & more. 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. Savelle made $15.82 an hour, and all others made less. State agencies have since launched audits and investigations of police there, and officials such as Alabama Lt. Gov. Jones said crime when he took over was higher than it appeared from numbers the town reported to the state. We encourage Brookside to form more partnerships with local, state and federal authorities to fully take back the town. According to AL.com's investigation, Jones, who was hired in 2018, built a police department of 10 or more full-time and part-time officers to patrol Brookside's 6 miles of roads and 1 mile jurisdiction along Interstate 22, a corridor between Birmingham and Memphis, Tennessee. Its not about making a dollar, Jones said. Ive never seen a possession case split like that, he said. 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. 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. Roger McCondichie, the late mayor of Brookside, at the time called Jones company woes personal business and defended the hiring by saying Jones was certified and had all the credentials. Judge Wooten said he would not resign, and referred questions to the prosecutor. 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. "Their whole financial existence starts to spiral, and it was all over a light on their car not working.". 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. Michelle Jones said she has had friends, acquaintances and family members stopped in Brookside. 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. When he got to court Dec. 2, he saw scores of people just like him lining up to stand before Judge Jim Wooten, complaining of penny-ante crimes and harassment by officers. 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. I can stand a thief better than a dirty cop. The town also provided a set of police stats Jones presented to the Brookside council to push for more resources and authority. But Savelle would not be fired. Hudgens told Jones about the call and gave him the mans contact information. The man is still afraid of retaliation, and asked for anonymity. We respect the process and its outcomes., Montague Minnifield talks passionately about his experience with Brookside Police. Citizen and officer safety, and protection of constitutional rights, should be among the prime goals of such training. (Photographerlondon / Dreamstime.com) Brookside, Alabama, has a population of less than 1,500 people. CNN's Nick Valencia. The caller identified himself as a Det. And local court officials have thrown out or called into question more than 100 cases involving Brookside police. Perform a free Brookside, AL public property records search, including property appraisals, unclaimed property, ownership searches, lookups, tax records, titles, deeds, and liens. 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. Mayor Bryan dismissed the complaints of those who must appear in court. 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. In 2018, reporters for ABC 33/40 said they asked the former mayor of Brookside about Jones financial problems when he was hired. Perez is angry at his treatment. Givan said this time she especially wants to hear from women. 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. But Jones was not the Chief at Brookside when he held himself out to be, using deception to disrespect that young deputy. "There is no coming back from this. Bill Dawson, a lawyer who has represented several clients in Brookside, said defendants have faced possession charges for a joint, with paraphernalia charges tacked on for the paper it was rolled in. 2023 County Office. Stephanie Franklin, a Jefferson County employee, told AL.com she was a passenger in a car stopped last year for an expired tag. The motive was to generate revenue for Brookside.. Detective Johnson had called and asked that I come to the Brookside Police Department to talk to them. And theyre saying they were nowhere near Brookside.. No one can objectively look at this and conclude this is good government that is keeping us safer.. 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. The town of Brookside, Alabama holds municipal court once a month. Five others resigned Jan. 28, and Jones second-in-command, former Lt. James Bo Savelle III, resigned Jan. 31, resigned after questions about his past. 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. 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. 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. 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. Others werent so fortunate. I wouldnt be surprised if they opened up an investigation. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. We dont have a law that says if you dont have ID, you go to jail, he said. She has watched and documented stops there. We are not safer because of it.. (Joe Songer for al.com).Joe Songer. The police wont do anything, Savelle is quoted in the report as saying. 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. Givan is still pushing for change in Brookside and says those responsible should be held accountable. But for this: The officer said the chiefs pretty upset about that post you put on Facebook. the Brookside man told AL.com. Former Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones, in a photo taken by WAAO News' Blaine Wilson, after turning himself in. Please keep it more-or-less civil. Sheriff Pettway said those who face charges in Brookside and want to ensure justice can get a bond and appeal their case. I just knew that I did not want to be part of a workplace that did such low-down things.. An investigator with the AG responded to her, and she spelled it out again in 2020. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. But when she did, the unmarked SUV pulled into the street, crossed the center line and sped toward her car, blue lights flashing. Some of the charges Savelle has faced predate his hiring at Brookside. All rights reserved (About Us). Brookside State: Alabama Zip Code: 35036-2000 County: Jefferson County Phone #: 205-674-9275 Fax #: 205-674-9547. The audits show, however, how the town came to depend on the ticket money. When the deputy approached the car, he reported that the driver of the vehicle was holding a police badge out of the drivers window, according to the affidavit filed by the county to obtain a warrant for Jones. It may cost some money to go through that process, he said. AL.com also sought connection through Brookside officials. Jones again as Mayor Bryan nodded said the goal of the department is only to help people. Brooksides police chief resigned in January 2022 following accusations of aggressive policing. The town survives on the fringes of Birmingham with tax revenue from the Dollar General, which forms the totality of its commercial district. The resignation follows an investigative report by al.com. Months of research and dozens of interviews by AL.com found that Brooksides finances are rocket-fueled by tickets and aggressive policing. Another would bar police from using unmarked cars for traffic stops. 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. As Brookside's earnings draw further scrutiny, with Givan planning a town hall Tuesday to allow people who say they've been exploited by the police force to come forward, advocacy organizations are emphasizing that it is no outlier and highlights how across the country, traffic fines and related fees are being used to fill municipal coffers at the expense of people who are often financially struggling and from communities of color. 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. Brookside now faces at least five lawsuits. (Joe Songer for al.com).Joe Songer. But in 2018 it began building a police empire, hiring more and more officers to blanket its six miles of roads and mile-and-a-half jurisdiction on Interstate 22. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. All rights reserved (About Us). Instead, the arresting officer was listed as Agent JS, while the assisting officer was Agent AR.. I was working that night and I received a phone call from the Hoover police chief, she said. In fact, they said in November they didnt know how that money is spent. And 99% of them are lying.. 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. The AGs office this week would not confirm or deny to AL.com the existence of any case involving Brookside. Fewer than 100 of its residents graduated college. 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. 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. 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. 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 officer said We have had people stop and record us, she said, like it explained his actions.. 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 town of Brookside, Alabama holds municipal court once a month. She insists like many others stopped by Brookside police that she did not run the stop sign at all. But lawyers and law enforcement officers across central Alabama have raised questions about things in Brookside they say they have never otherwise come across. Subscribe to our WBRC newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email. Seven Brookside police officers have resigned since details of the towns aggressive policing strategy gained national attention in January. There were two cars and one SUV that surrounded my car and police were everywhere, she wrote. 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. Brookside has two drug-sniffing dogs one named K9 Cash to search the cars of stopped motorists. Written with the support of Columbia Universitys Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights. She paid the $160 ticket and began to make her case through emails to public officials, complaints, a television interview and elsewhere. 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. You know, weve had a lot of issues with Brookside.. Hall did appeal, and a Jefferson County judge ultimately dismissed the charges. Walker told the judge he will fight the charge. It ultimately became the reason Hudgens left her job. 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. She complained directly to then-Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones. They often say they had no idea why they were pulled over while passing near Brookside on Interstate 22. They were doing the same thing to every person that was there. But he also worries for relatives and employees who live in Brookside. Since this involves a personnel matter, the Town has no further comment. They own the town.. 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. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts. Erik Ortiz is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital focusing on racial injustice and social inequality. Officer Deshawn Mark Cook, who worked in Brookside as recently as Thursday, was arrested Friday on charges of first degree rape stemming from 2021. 205-674-9275. Third party advertisements support hosting, listing verification, updates, and site maintenance. 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. Information found on CountyOffice.org is strictly for informational purposes and does not construe legal, financial or medical advice. Monday afternoon former Birmingham Police Officer Montague Minnifield became at least the eighth person to sue Brookside over its police and court systems. For Michelle Jones, it has been a dedicated three-year fight. Then-Council member Bryan was there each time the police department reported their revenues to them during council meetings. 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. 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. Jones is not alone in complaining about Brookside. He was very ugly from the start.. He wanted to speak to someone who could take his badge.. He has not commented since. Eventually she was given an inhaler and treated by paramedics. It was something that I should not have been stopped for, Brumlow said in sworn testimony. Because people overwhelmed by debt have been shown to turn to crime to pay their fines an argument can be made that this kind of policing creates crime, Crowder said. Were pulled over while passing near Brookside on Interstate 22 within their jurisdiction and tickets. 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