Brookside now faces at least five lawsuits. CNN's Nick Valencia. AL.com also sought connection through Brookside officials. If you had more officers and more productivity youd have more, Jones said. He served a months suspension, with pay in the wake of news coverage about the arrest. Additional Information. after AL.coms original report on Brookside. I know that.. Mayor Bryan said he inherited a bad situation when he took over as mayor in November, and was fooled by Jones. Brookside Police Department Contact Information Address, Phone Number, and Fax Number for Brookside Police Department, a Police Department, at Main Street, Brookside AL. By 2020 officers in the sleepy town were undergoing SWAT training and dressing in riot gear, even as the city continued with only a volunteer fire department. Brooksides police chief resigned in January 2022 following accusations of aggressive policing. 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. In a two-year period after Jones hiring, income from fines and forfeitures rose more than 600 percent, and that money made up 49 percent of the towns income. requested an audit of Brooksides town and police force, have called for bills to help curb small-town policing, sometimes appropriated by white supremacists, in the case of Rev. Thats a 1,478% increase, with 1.7 tows for every household in town. Michelle Jones said she has had friends, acquaintances and family members stopped in Brookside. Sheriff Pettway gaped at the Brookside ratio. The town also expanded its towing operations, going from 50 vehicles in 2018 to 789 in 2020. Across the country, the average size of a force is one officer for every 588 residents, according to a Governing Magazine study that examined federal statistics. Netta Womack tells her story about Brookside police at a town hall Tuesday February 1, 2022. A manager at Dave & Busters in Hoover in 2019 called police on a man named James Bo Savelle III. 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. Johnson, though it is unclear if Brookside had a Detective Johnson. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The police have ordered vehicles towed for lack of insurance, while ignoring owners' efforts to show insurance documentation. The resignation follows an investigative report by al.com. 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. Monday afternoon former Birmingham Police Officer Montague Minnifield became at least the eighth person to sue Brookside over its police and court systems. State Representative Juandalynn Givan isnt surprised by the report. The officer said We have had people stop and record us, she said, like it explained his actions.. She spelled it out in her complaint to the AGs office and in notes to the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department, county commissioners and others. Jones says she was polite to the officer, but was convinced the ticket was unfounded and given outside the Brookside police jurisdiction. Fines and forfeitures seizures of cars during traffic stops, among other things doubled from 2018 to 2019. The lowest-paid officers made $12 an hour. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. (Joe Songer for AL.com).Joe Songer. But Jones was not the Chief at Brookside when he held himself out to be, using deception to disrespect that young deputy. Type: 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. 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. Months of research and dozens of interviews by AL.com found that Brooksides finances are rocket-fueled by tickets and aggressive policing. I was just looking at him like, so this is what this stop is about?. story of how the tiny town turned to aggressive ticketing to build a ballooning police force that came to provide half the towns revenue. This is the statement from the Town of Brookside: Mike Jones resigned as the Police Chief for the Town of Brookside. In 2018, when the town had one full-time police officer and a few part-timers, it reported no serious crimes to the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center. There were two cars and one SUV that surrounded my car and police were everywhere, she wrote. It did not feature a breakout of the police department. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts. All rights reserved (About Us). Yet that is hard to swallow for those who line up for court and face financial ruin because of citations. He resigned as chief of the Brookside department last week, days after AL.coms original report on Brookside. 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. The interim chief and Town leaders announced reforms within the police department in February 2022. "Brookside is a continuation of that story almost 10 years later. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Brookside, just north of Birmingham, already faces at least 10 lawsuits about its policing. Another town hall is scheduled for Thursday at 6 pm at Birminghams Carver High School. All they do is take peoples rights. He waved it around the restaurant, in front of customers and staff. Fifth, the town needs help in fighting drug trafficking. The town announced his departure in a statement, but would not comment further. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Sheriff Pettway said those who face charges in Brookside and want to ensure justice can get a bond and appeal their case. Eventually she was given an inhaler and treated by paramedics. 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. See also: Savelle among those sued by preacher who claimed Brookside revenge. And so thats why I decided to fight.. Will Ainsworth, have said Brookside and towns that use overly aggressive policing to fill their coffers must change. (Photographerlondon / Dreamstime.com) Brookside, Alabama, has a population of less than 1,500 people. And local court officials have thrown out or called into question more than 100 cases involving Brookside police. Jones testified his officers wear gray uniforms with no Brookside insignias. They were shining these flashlights in my car and it was daylight. And theyre saying they were nowhere near Brookside.. On the other end was a caller IDd as coming from the Brookside Town Hall, she said. The report was released on September 29, 2022. . 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. (Joe Songer for al.com).Joe Songer. People who were detained by Brookside officers beyond a traffic stop. That contributed a 14% chunk of the citys total income, a number that would be considered high in much of America. 205-674-9275. View map of Brookside Police Department, and get driving directions from your location. Leadership should be aware that large-scale statistical analyses are inherently untimely and mask individual behavior. And 99% of them are lying.. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. She has watched and documented stops there. 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us). All rights reserved (About Us). Dozens of people who claim they were victimized by Brookside Police have come forward to tell their stories. But my behavior was right. Brookside has 1,253 people, according to the most recent census. 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 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. Pettway also said issues with Brookside could draw the attention of the federal government. 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. 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. After being pulled over on Interstate 22 for allegedly speeding in February 2021, Anyl Pascal was arrested by Brookside police and taken to jail. The BPD has managed to double the impoverished town's total income from 2018 to 2020 as a result of its 640% increase in fines and forfeitures. Over-policing can also create the perception of racial profiling when it appears to target minority citizens. Police Chief Mike Jones has since resigned, Lt. Gov. She thought the complaint was long forgotten or closed. I think its one of those situations that could possibly bring in the feds with some oversight, he said. She fought it instead. Most of the time people get stopped, theyre going to get a ticket. Written with the support of Columbia Universitys Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights. 2023 County Office. Leadership at every level of government is required to make our cities and towns safer. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Jones lawyer, Bryan, did not return calls today. The town also provided a set of police stats Jones presented to the Brookside council to push for more resources and authority. A report quoted in the suit claimed she tighten (sic) arm muscles from getting handcuff (sic).. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The problem for those alleging misconduct is that officers may be immune from lawsuits if their actions are found to be a part of their official duties, Dawson said. Scott Shackford | 1.19.2022 1:20 PM. The conclusion reads: We conclude our report by recommending that new Brookside Police Department leadership adopt specific policies aimed at targeting its law enforcement efforts in more strategic ways. Please keep it more-or-less civil. Brookside police made 4.4 arrests in 2020 for every household. The courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. He resigned Jan. 25, six days after AL.com detailed how the department preyed on drivers, and came to use fines and forfeitures to supply half the tiny towns income. Two or three days later Brookside police stopped him again. A Peace Officer sworn in the State of Alabama can enforce the law anywhere in the State of Alabama, he wrote in an email. Current Mayor Mike Bryan has called for Brookside police to stop patrolling Interstate 22, except for wrecks and emergencies. The citizens of this state and those traveling through this state should enjoy the opportunity to freely access our roadways, he said. Jones, accompanied by his lawyer, Corey Bryan of Andalusia, turned himself in at the Covington County Jail on Monday, Covington County Sheriff Blake Turman said. 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. 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). I cant stand them., In a statement today, Turman said In this case, we had a young deputy that was trying to be respectful to a supposed veteran officer and gave him a break. All rights reserved. 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! Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham has demanded the resignations of Bryan, Brookside City Attorney Mark Parnell and Municipal Judge Jim Wooten. 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 This is shocking, said Crowder. 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. Those charges include possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, according to state records. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. We are not safer because of it.. It's a story that is really egregious and heinous for a variety of reasons.". 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. The goals should include elevating professionalism at each level of law enforcement and civilian oversight. Defendants must pay thousands in fines and fees or pay for costly appeals to state court and poorer residents or passersby fall into patterns of debt they cannot easily escape. 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. 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. 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. Video above: Federal class action lawsuit filed against Town of Brookside, police officers Advertisement 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. Police Trap, she posted in June of 2019. At least three bills are now before the Legislature that would affect those cities. 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. His statement said he is not taking questions. Another woman, Emily Sierra, emailed AL.com to say she was pulled over in Brookside three years ago for a single flash of her lights to warn oncoming traffic about a speed trap. 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. But he also worries for relatives and employees who live in Brookside. 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. I wouldnt be surprised if they opened up an investigation. 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. Hall did appeal, and a Jefferson County judge ultimately dismissed the charges. There is no trust," Representative Juandalynn Givan said. 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 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. Jones blamed the lawsuits on ambulance-chasing attorneys.. I just knew that I did not want to be part of a workplace that did such low-down things.. 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). John Walker was stopped in Brookside for following too closely. Find Brookside residential property records including property owners, sales & transfer history, deeds & titles, property taxes, valuations, land, zoning records & more. Kimberlee Hudgens was a dispatcher at the Brookside Police Department at the time of Savelles Hoover arrest. The Brookside police staff, based on this data, came to one officer for every 84 residents in January. 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. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts. In fact, they said in November they didnt know how that money is spent. For most of the past decade it saw little crimeonly 55 . I feel like they cant claim innocence in this situation., They saw dollar signs, she said of the mayors and the council. Neither the police nor the town have responded to questions since the original story ran. Savelle pulled out a Brookside Police Department badge before Hoover officers arrived, according to the report that cited witnesses and the presence of cameras. 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). BROOKSIDE, Ala. ( WIAT) Tuesday's town hall called to discuss issues involving the Brookside Police Department is already causing change to happen. 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. In an email to her May 29, 2019, Mike Jones defended the stop, and the ability to ticket outside of Brookside. But an officer grabbed the phone and threw it to the ground, breaking it, the lawsuit says. Givan is still pushing for change in Brookside and says those responsible should be held accountable. The chief of police at a northern Jefferson County police department resigned on Tuesday. Detective Johnson had called and asked that I come to the Brookside Police Department to talk to them. Terms and Conditions. And the police chief has called for more. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. she added. Erik Ortiz is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital focusing on racial injustice and social inequality. Harris lawyers contend she was taken to the Brookside jail, strip-searched, and told she could be jailed up to two days. Not speeding, not swerving, just using the left lane. Simon led an in-depth and months long investigation into whether officers in the Brookside Police Department participated in racial profiling. Brookside Police Department is in the Police1 Law Enforcement Directory. 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. Since this involves a personnel matter, the Town has no further comment. But if you want real justice, I think youll go through the process. But not in the courtroom. APOST oversees police certification in Alabama. Fallout over the Brookside revelations continues. Brumlow pleaded not guilty, and had to go to court over and over again as the case was postponed. For Michelle Jones, it has been a dedicated three-year fight. He returned to his job as second in command with consent of the town council, Hudgens said. A court worker told her she would have to plead guilty or go to driving school. 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. Jones could not be reached for comment Friday. The town now faces 13 lawsuits. His car was towed with apologies from the tow-truck driver costing him several hundred dollars. I was scared to death even though I was doing nothing wrong.. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts.. "Their whole financial existence starts to spiral, and it was all over a light on their car not working.". 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.. It parked a riot control vehicle townspeople call it a tank outside the municipal complex and community center. It was something that I should not have been stopped for, Brumlow said in sworn testimony. But it's also prevalent across the country. In addition, she said, counting on fines and fees collected from people in lower income and marginalized communities only serves to punish them further. The deputy has since also issued a speeding ticket to go along with the impersonation charge.. 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. Traffic tickets, and criminalizing those who passed through, became the citys leading industry. The town's median household income is less than $40,000, according to demographic data. People who had their vehicles towed and impounded by Jetts Towing after a traffic stop. Police stacked fines on them, often towed their cars and generated revenue that went right back into the police department. Mr. Bryan, as un-involved as he sounds, is as culpable as the others.. The AGs office this week would not confirm or deny to AL.com the existence of any case involving Brookside. 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. Prosecutor Parnell issued a statement saying he did nothing wrong. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts. About a year ago, the former head of the Alabama Association of Chiefs of Police received several complaints about the Brookside Police Department. 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. 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. She vividly recalls the events of that night and the following day. The officers, though many, were not well paid. She was not speeding, or breaking the law, she argued in the suit. Givan said this time she especially wants to hear from women. The deputy described a Brookside badge with a chief indicator at the bottom. Covington County's affidavit for a warrant to arrest former Brookside police chief Mike Jones. Fairness and real justice, I believe, is something people are looking for when it comes to law enforcement. After learning of those statements, Rep. Givan again said the three need to resign. 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. They often say they had no idea why they were pulled over while passing near Brookside on Interstate 22. Still, police seized his car, and refused to return it, though they didnt begin official forfeiture proceedings. Fourth, Brookside should avoid over-policing and overly broad traffic enforcement which creates the appearance of ticketing for revenue. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Mike Jones actually knew Bo when Bo was a kid in Explorers, McDonald said. Will Ainsworth requested a state audit, and amid calls for state and federal investigations. Instead, the arresting officer was listed as Agent JS, while the assisting officer was Agent AR.. But its a common charge in Brookside. County Office is not affiliated with any government agency. Perez is Hispanic, and his passenger was a Brookside resident, also Hispanic, who didnt have her purse with her, Perez said. Suggest Listing BROOKSIDE, Ala. (WBRC) - We're learning more about complaints against the Brookside Police Department, this time from other members of law enforcement. 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. The city is facing at least five federal lawsuits related to its policing. Jones again as Mayor Bryan nodded said the goal of the department is only to help people. A Brookside officer ticketed Brumlow under Alabama code section 32-5-77, which her lawyers contend does not contain a crime. 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. She set out to challenge it. 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. The caller identified himself as a Det. She paid the $160 ticket and began to make her case through emails to public officials, complaints, a television interview and elsewhere. The special report concludes with six recommendations for Brookside leaders and the Brookside Police Department. All rights reserved (About Us). However, our analysis did find significant evidence of selective enforcement with respect to warning tickets. 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.