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. 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. They were infatuated with Mike (Jones) because he was doing all this good for Brookside and they couldnt see any of the bad.. But fines and. Brookside police made 4.4 arrests in 2020 for every household. His phone is not accepting calls and he did not return emails to an address listed as belonging to him. All rights reserved (About Us). Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Simon led an in-depth and months long investigation into whether officers in the Brookside Police Department participated in racial profiling. The police departments Facebook page it claims more than a million visitors became a vehicle for public shaming with embarrassing mugshots and derision for those who owe fines and fees Turn yourself in. 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. 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. Its findings will be passed along to appropriate state agencies, if necessary. BROOKSIDE, Ala. ( WIAT) Tuesday's town hall called to discuss issues involving the Brookside Police Department is already causing change to happen. We are not safer because of it.. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Because the Town is launching the independent inquiry, the February 3 and 10 monthly court sessions are postponed until a date to be determined. All rights reserved (About Us). In the meantime, well continue to make good on our promises to reform policing in Brookside, said Mayor Bryan on Wednesday. The report was released on September 29, 2022. Name Brookside Police Department Suggest Edit Address 208 Main Street Brookside , Alabama , 35036 Phone 205-674-9275 Fax 205-674-9547 Brookside Police Department Details Type She was not speeding, or breaking the law, she argued in the suit. Will Ainsworth, have said Brookside and towns that use overly aggressive policing to fill their coffers must change. 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. We encourage Brookside to form more partnerships with local, state and federal authorities to fully take back the town. soon after reports of the small towns aggressive policing, AL.com detailed how the department preyed on drivers. 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. 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. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts.. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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 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. John Archibald: Brookside is an extreme example of a type of policing that's going on all over this country. Yet the Brookside stories come at an alarming rate. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. And 99% of them are lying.. Prosecutor Parnell issued a statement saying he did nothing wrong. I feel like they cant claim innocence in this situation., They saw dollar signs, she said of the mayors and the council. Netta Womack tells her story about Brookside police at a town hall Tuesday February 1, 2022. On July 10th, 2019, 16 days after she paid her ticket, her phone rang. Eventually she was given an inhaler and treated by paramedics. Stories of how Alabama legal systems criminalize poverty. But its a common charge in Brookside. A department of nine officers in a 1,253-person town is far larger than average. I just knew that I did not want to be part of a workplace that did such low-down things.. 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. 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. The police wont do anything, Savelle is quoted in the report as saying. I dont condone it, but you know, Im not the chief out there.. 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. He was very ugly from the start.. 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. The courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. He said police accused him of running a stop sign that I never did run, and he complained about it on Facebook. View map of Brookside Police Department, and get driving directions from your location. Ive seen it, DA Carr said. You know, weve had a lot of issues with Brookside.. 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. Bryan did not respond to questions about Savelle, or Jones hiring. The deputy described a Brookside badge with a chief indicator at the bottom. Fourth, Brookside should avoid over-policing and overly broad traffic enforcement which creates the appearance of ticketing for revenue. 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. 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.. But he also worries for relatives and employees who live in Brookside. Jones says she was polite to the officer, but was convinced the ticket was unfounded and given outside the Brookside police jurisdiction. Sheriff Pettway gaped at the Brookside ratio. Wattson claims he was unaware of the drugs. The town's median household income is less than $40,000, according to demographic data. I honestly dont think the towns gonna be able to come back from this. Related: Pastor, sister say rogue police force sought revenge. 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. The Brookside Police Department's practices include stacking charges so that a single violation results in a handful of charges, with corresponding fines, fees and court costs for each. Brookside Police Department is in the Police1 Law Enforcement Directory. Not for speeding, or running a stop sign, or any violation. Officers in Brookside have been accused in lawsuits of manufacturing reasons for traffic stops, overcharging and "making up laws," AL.com reported. Others werent so fortunate. 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. He swore hed seen the cop from a distance and was careful as he braked. You may not use this site for the purposes of furnishing consumer reports about search subjects or for any use prohibited by the FCRA. 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. When he declared bankruptcy in 2019, Jones owed $300,000 in tax liens and $2.2 million in total claims. I clearly did not run the stop sign as I had just seen them sitting on top of I-22 overpass. They had blinders on. Erik Ortiz is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital focusing on racial injustice and social inequality. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The audits show, however, how the town came to depend on the ticket money. BROOKSIDE, Ala. ( WIAT) On Thursday night, Alabama Rep. Juandalynn Givan will hold another town hall meeting as she works to take action against alleged illegal ticketing that has taken place in the Brookside Police Department. The growth has come with trouble to match. Greenway Park incorporates a truly remarkable mix of habitats in close proximity. I know that.. "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. The courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. 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. But my behavior was right. I can stand a thief better than a dirty cop. The deputy has since also issued a speeding ticket to go along with the impersonation charge.. The goals should include elevating professionalism at each level of law enforcement and civilian oversight. Former Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones was arrested May 2, 2022 in Covington County, Ala., charged with impersonating a police officer. 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%. He was released after posting $20,000 bail. Subscribe to our WBRC newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The interim chief and Town leaders announced reforms within the police department in February 2022. He was released after posting $20,000 bail. 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. Address, Phone Number, and Fax Number for Brookside Police Department, a Police Department, at Main Street, Brookside AL. (Joe Songer for AL.com).Joe Songer. Popularity:#11 of 45 Police Departments in Jefferson County#69 of 565 Police Departments in Alabama#2,237 in Police Departments. She complained directly to then-Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. They own the town.. 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. He and members of the town council complained of. It showed that total arrests custodial, misdemeanor and felony rose 1,109% from 2018 to 2020. Brookside has 1,253 people, according to the most recent census. WBRC FOX6 News has reached out to the Town of Brookside leaders for a response to the special report, and we will update this story when we receive a response. He was cited for driving with a suspended license a matter he thought hed cleared up but he doesnt blame Brookside for that. Officer Deshawn Mark Cook, who worked in Brookside as recently as Thursday, was arrested Friday on charges of first degree rape stemming from 2021. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. An audit by the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts last week issued a report citing Brookside for myriad errors, including poor financial controls, missing guns and guns with no explanation. Fines and forfeitures seizures of cars during traffic stops, among other things doubled from 2018 to 2019. 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. Perez is angry at his treatment. But if you want real justice, I think youll go through the process. State agencies have since launched audits and investigations of police there, and officials such as Alabama Lt. Gov. He served a months suspension, with pay in the wake of news coverage about the arrest. BROOKSIDE, Ala. (WBRC) - We're learning more about complaints against the Brookside Police Department, this time from other members of law enforcement. I quit Brookside once he came back, she said. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Savelle on Monday resigned from the Brookside Department, hours after AL.com asked city officials about his past. The motive was to generate revenue for Brookside.. All they do is take peoples rights. she said. 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. 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. Its more important now than ever before that law enforcement maintain high levels of professionalism and integrity, he said. She insists like many others stopped by Brookside police that she did not run the stop sign at all. AL.com in January reported how Brookside used fines and forfeitures to bring in almost half the town revenue in 2020, and how its police department grew exponentially under Chief Jones. Jones again as Mayor Bryan nodded said the goal of the department is only to help people. [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. Instead, the arresting officer was listed as Agent JS, while the assisting officer was Agent AR.. Ramon Perez felt that way as well, sitting in the courtroom and hearing defendants plead to the same charges over and over. 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. If we have to come get ya, well make you famous!, When you look at their Facebook pages its almost like they are bullies. It is what happened after the stop that is most concerning to him. We will be reviewing the details of the allegations with the Towns legal counsel. 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. 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. The Brookside Police Department is located on Municipal Drive, and the Chief of Police is Jason Springfield.