The town's median household income is less than $40,000, according to demographic data. 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.. Police put her in a patrol car and searched her vehicle for drugs. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts. The Town of Brookside participates in the affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, it says. The conclusion reads: 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. From 2018 to 2020, spending on police rose from $79,000 to $524,000, a 560% increase. 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. Officers in Brookside have been accused in lawsuits of manufacturing reasons for traffic stops, overcharging and "making up laws," AL.com reported. Officer Deshawn Mark Cook, who worked in Brookside as recently as Thursday, was arrested Friday on charges of first degree rape stemming from 2021. 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. "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?" The special report concludes with six recommendations for Brookside leaders and the Brookside Police Department. Brumlows uncle, Jeff Brumlow, is the longtime prosecutor and city attorney for the city of Alabaster, and a GOP candidate for Shelby County district judge. County Office is not affiliated with any government agency. In addition, she said, counting on fines and fees collected from people in lower income and marginalized communities only serves to punish them further. They had blinders on. 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. Seven Brookside police officers have resigned since details of the towns aggressive policing strategy gained national attention in January. The goals should include elevating professionalism at each level of law enforcement and civilian oversight. Ramon Perez showed up for court in December ready to fight traffic citations he got in Brookside. She agrees that there was selective enforcement. She has watched and documented stops there. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. We are not safer because of it.. Ainsworth called for a financial audit by the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts and vowed the state would investigate Brookside and towns like it. The town faces several state investigations, and has brought in outside help to rebuild the department. Periodic review of bodycam video can be used to monitor and investigate possible profiling or other alleged misconduct. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Do you understand what you are charged with? the judge asked on that first Thursday in December. Months of research and dozens of interviews by AL.com found that Brooksides finances are rocket-fueled by tickets and aggressive policing. His statement said he is not taking questions. She complained directly to then-Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones. 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.. 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. Brookside, which in 2018 had one full time police officer, now parks a riot control vehicle townspeople call it a tank outside the municipal complex and community center. 2711 Municipal Dr. Brookside, AL 35036. 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. They seek damages against the individual police officers for wrongful fines, forfeitures, and arrests, including mental anguish damages., In trying to establish a conspiracy, the complaint contends that the town of Brookside, its court and its officers, exist to extract the payment of unlawful fines from the people.. Savelle was in the program for up-and-coming police officers in Helena, while Mike Jones was a patrol officer there, he said. All rights reserved. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He was drunk and disorderly and harassed a married couple, according to a Hoover offense report. Theres no way I was going to run that stop sign.. Copyright 2022 WBRC. 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. He served a months suspension, with pay in the wake of news coverage about the arrest. He was very ugly from the start.. I have never been in any trouble only had one speeding ticket. Brookside is the "the wild, Wild West," one state lawmaker said after its income from traffic fines and forfeitures reportedly rose 640 percent in 2 years. But lawyers and law enforcement officers across central Alabama have raised questions about things in Brookside they say they have never otherwise come across. 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. But Brookside revenues from fines and forfeitures soared after that, and the towns law-enforcement goals and its reputation changed. 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. Savelle was given pre-trial release, but Shelby County Community Corrections asked a judge a few weeks later to revoke Savelles bond when he willfully failed to comply with the conditions by failing to pay fees for drug screening, failing three alcohol tests and failing to show up for drug tests, court records show. Brookside officials this afternoon said in a statement that the Tahoe is registered in Jones name and does not belong to Brookside. That meeting will be at 6 p.m. at the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office Training Center in Fultondale, 3500 Happy Hollow Lane. I think it could be more.. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts. I just knew that I did not want to be part of a workplace that did such low-down things.. Brookside, Ala., may only have 10 kilometres of roads, one store and a volunteer fire department, but its police force has an armoured truck; two police dogs; nine unmarked vehicles, seven. 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. 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. He reported that his Police Chief was mad.. State agencies have since launched audits and investigations of police there, and officials such as Alabama Lt. Gov. It was something that I should not have been stopped for, Brumlow said in sworn testimony. Privacy Policy He stated that I issued threats, incited a riot, and slandered the Brookside Police Department in my Facebook posts. 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. 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. called for the second town hall meeting this week. We had no knowledge of Mike Jones whereabouts after his resignation January 25, Mayor Mike Bryan said. EOG was set up to provide security services for athletic events and other gatherings. 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. Tiny Brooksides style of policing under Jones has become known nationally in recent weeks. 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. This story was published with the support of a grant from Columbia Universitys Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights. I was working that night and I received a phone call from the Hoover police chief, she said. Johnson, though it is unclear if Brookside had a Detective Johnson. Over the last several months, the Brookside Police Department has faced scrutiny over its ticketing practices, as well as alleged corruption. Oftentimes, a person's decision to forgo paying a fine goes deeper, Sarathy Jones said. Walker told the judge he will fight the charge. 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.. Brookside officers have been accused in lawsuits of fabricating charges, using racist language and making up laws to stack counts on passersby. Its my understanding that a guy can go out there and I mean, he can fall into a black hole, Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr said of drivers getting entangled financially. The courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. I feel bad for those guys who struggle, Perez said. Yet that is hard to swallow for those who line up for court and face financial ruin because of citations. Givan said this time she especially wants to hear from women. Hudgens told Jones about the call and gave him the mans contact information. 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. He was released after posting $20,000 bail. Michelle Jones, of Forestdale, has fought the Brookside police department for three years. They were doing the same thing to every person that was there. 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. He wanted to speak to someone who could take his badge.. Hall did appeal, and a Jefferson County judge ultimately dismissed the charges. Savelle on Monday resigned from the Brookside Department, hours after AL.com asked city officials about his past. We dont care about tickets, Jones said. AL.com also sought connection through Brookside officials. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. An investigator with the AG responded to her, and she spelled it out again in 2020. Ramon Perez felt that way as well, sitting in the courtroom and hearing defendants plead to the same charges over and over. 43 Brookside should consider such a policy. 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. I was just looking at him like, so this is what this stop is about?. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this 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. Simon led an in-depth and months long investigation into whether officers in the Brookside Police Department participated in racial profiling. story of how the tiny town turned to aggressive ticketing to build a ballooning police force that came to provide half the towns revenue. I know that.. AL.com found court records that detail a string of financial troubles for Jones, as state and federal lawsuits reveal employees, lawyers, creditors and others who claim Jones company, Event Operations Group, did not pay them or failed to live up to obligations. 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. Savelle pulled out a Brookside Police Department badge before Hoover officers arrived, according to the report that cited witnesses and the presence of cameras. I should have brought a lawyer, but right now my time is not there, he said. At least three bills are now before the Legislature that would affect those cities. He agreed to represent his niece in her traffic case. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. But when she did, the unmarked SUV pulled into the street, crossed the center line and sped toward her car, blue lights flashing. Brooksides police chief resigned in January 2022 following accusations of aggressive policing. 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. Instead, the arresting officer was listed as Agent JS, while the assisting officer was Agent AR.. Police stacked fines on them, often towed their cars and generated revenue that went right back into the police department. A third calls for guidelines on how cities and towns handle municipal courts. But Jones was not the Chief at Brookside when he held himself out to be, using deception to disrespect that young deputy. 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. I dont condone it, but you know, Im not the chief out there.. 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. In his call to Jones this week, the investigator said he could not tell me anything because of the ongoing investigation, Jones said. Yet the Brookside stories come at an alarming rate. He has not commented since. The town announced his departure in a statement, but would not comment further. The curious case of the financial income of the town, on the outskirts of Birmingham, exploded into a scandal following a local news report on AL.com last week. And so thats why I decided to fight.. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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. Officials from the examiners office were believed to visit Brookside last week. Stories of how Alabama legal systems criminalize poverty. In 2020 they came to $610,000. Police Chief Mike Jones has since resigned, Lt. Gov. Mayor Bryan dismissed the complaints of those who must appear in court. At Brookside municipal court, the courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. 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. Fifth, the town needs help in fighting drug trafficking. By last summer, he said in a deposition, Brookside had hired eight additional full-time officers and several part-timers. This is at the corner of Roberta Road and Mulberry Road, which is far away from their city limits.. 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 resignation follows an investigative report by al.com. 2023 County Office. He returned to his job as second in command with consent of the town council, Hudgens said. I can stand a thief better than a dirty cop. 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 did patrol the 1.5-mile stretch of Interstate 22 within their jurisdiction and wrote tickets that brought in $82,467 in fines. in the wake of news coverage about the arrest. Sheriff Pettway said those who face charges in Brookside and want to ensure justice can get a bond and appeal their case. (Joe Songer for al.com).Joe Songer. Please keep your posts factual and post links to reliable sources. This is the statement from the Town of Brookside: Mike Jones resigned as the Police Chief for the Town of Brookside. Audits by Philip Morgan & Co., covering at least five consecutive years, pointed out as a shortcoming that the town did not have a budget or a policy of adopting one annually. 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