But for this: The officer said the chiefs pretty upset about that post you put on Facebook. the Brookside man told AL.com. 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. 205-674-9275. The Brookside police staff, based on this data, came to one officer for every 84 residents in January. It did not feature a breakout of the police department. 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. 2711 Municipal Dr. Brookside, AL 35036. 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. I feel like they cant claim innocence in this situation., They saw dollar signs, she said of the mayors and the council. Over-policing can also create the perception of racial profiling when it appears to target minority citizens. What I had watched in court with the use of this particular charge, I mean, just to be quite frank, it offended me that a court would act that way and that a city would act that way toward people who really dont have that kind of money, he testified. Everybodys got a story, he said. Last year, based on Jones testimony, Brookside had at least one officer for every 144 residents. As we have seen, overly aggressive traffic enforcement is not the way forward. The conclusion reads: It went from towing 50 vehicles in 2018 to 789 in 2020 each carrying fines. 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. He was drunk and disorderly and harassed a married couple, according to a Hoover offense report. The Town of Brookside participates in the affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, it says. Brookside Police Department. Read more stories from our Banking on Crime series: Updated 10/10/22 to say the woman accosted at Dave & Busters did wish to press charges. Jones could not be reached for comment Friday. The officer went on to say any more backlash like that towards his police department and itll be far worse than a ticket., I just stared at him, the man said. For most of the past decade it saw little crimeonly 55 . Brookside officers have been accused in lawsuits of fabricating charges, using racist language and making up laws to stack counts on passersby. We had no knowledge of Mike Jones whereabouts after his resignation January 25, Mayor Mike Bryan said. And 99% of them are lying.. Brookside officials this afternoon said in a statement that the Tahoe is registered in Jones name and does not belong to Brookside. He said hed like to see even more growth in revenue from fines and forfeitures. The officers, though many, were not well paid. Information found on CountyOffice.org is strictly for informational purposes and does not construe legal, financial or medical advice. 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. The town also provided a set of police stats Jones presented to the Brookside council to push for more resources and authority. He waved it around the restaurant, in front of customers and staff. A Peace Officer sworn in the State of Alabama can enforce the law anywhere in the State of Alabama, he wrote in an email. 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 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. His car was towed with apologies from the tow-truck driver costing him several hundred dollars. Brookside Police Department in Brookside, Alabama, get driving directions from your location, Birmingham Police Department - North Precinct, Department Of Public Safety Highway Patrol Post - Birmingham, Jefferson County Pistol Permits & Gun Licenses, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Most Wanted Sex Offenders, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Offender Search, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Website, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Website (Alabama), Brookside public safety & filing complaints, Brookside Police Department jobs and employment. Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones resigns Jan. 25, 2022. 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. About a year ago, the former head of the Alabama Association of Chiefs of Police received several complaints about the Brookside Police Department. Mike Jones actually knew Bo when Bo was a kid in Explorers, McDonald said. CNN's Nick Valencia. I was the one that informed him that Mike Jones was in Washington D.C. and that Bo was the acting chief.. Because I am a police officer.. Brookside police made 4.4 arrests in 2020 for every household. 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. Related: Pastor, sister say rogue police force sought revenge. In May of 2019, the month Brumlow was stopped, Brookside officers ticketed 75 people for driving in the left lane. The town of Brookside, Alabama holds municipal court once a month. Lt. Gov. However, our analysis did find significant evidence of selective enforcement with respect to warning tickets. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Brookside State: Alabama Zip Code: 35036-2000 County: Jefferson County Phone #: 205-674-9275 Fax #: 205-674-9547. Officer Deshawn Mark Cook, who worked in Brookside as recently as Thursday, was arrested Friday on charges of first degree rape stemming from 2021. Ive never seen a possession case split like that, he said. (Joe Songer for AL.com).Joe Songer. She set out to challenge it. 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. Police stops soared between 2018 and 2020. Another town hall is scheduled for Thursday at 6 pm at Birminghams Carver High School. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. No communitysmall or large can do it alone. People stopped by Brookside police more than a mile and half outside the town limits. Instead, the arresting officer was listed as Agent JS, while the assisting officer was Agent AR.. 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. [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. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts. The courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. Find 12 external resources related to Brookside Police Department. I was working that night and I received a phone call from the Hoover police chief, she said. They let her out of jail at midnight, long after her family had made bond. Hudgens told Jones about the call and gave him the mans contact information. Officials from the examiners office were believed to visit Brookside last week. State agencies have since launched audits and investigations of police there, and officials such as Alabama Lt. Gov. she added. It frightened her, and led to more trouble. They were infatuated with Mike (Jones) because he was doing all this good for Brookside and they couldnt see any of the bad.. CountyOffice.org does not provide consumer reports and is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). After I told him that I would not, he reported that they have two warrants for my arrest. Copyright 2022 WBRC. 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. Since this involves a personnel matter, the Town has no further comment. Savelle pulled out a Brookside Police Department badge before Hoover officers arrived, according to the report that cited witnesses and the presence of cameras. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Which is another problem altogether, Sheriff Pettway said. Brooksides police chief resigned in January 2022 following accusations of aggressive policing. In his call to Jones this week, the investigator said he could not tell me anything because of the ongoing investigation, Jones said. BROOKSIDE, Ala. (WBRC) - WBRC confirmed Mike Jones resigned as Brookside Police Chief. 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. This is shocking, said Crowder. 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. AL.com story revealed a department so intent on ticketing and criminalizing motorists, arrested Savelle for public intoxication and two counts of harassment that night. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. But Brookside revenues from fines and forfeitures soared after that, and the towns law-enforcement goals and its reputation changed. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. I was scared to death even though I was doing nothing wrong.. 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. 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. Prosecutor Parnell issued a statement saying he did nothing wrong. 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. At least eight officers, including Jones, have resigned or been let go since. In fact, they said in November they didnt know how that money is spent. Pettway also said issues with Brookside could draw the attention of the federal government. The next day she spoke to the husband of the woman who complained to Hoover police. He was cited for driving with a suspended license a matter he thought hed cleared up but he doesnt blame Brookside for that. in the wake of news coverage about the arrest. And the police chief has called for more. Which is exactly what the town is banking on, according to those who have watched Brookside grow into one of Alabamas biggest, most troublesome traffic traps. Jones was a Helena police officer and president of the city council in the Shelby County town until late 2018 when, as ABC 33/40s Cynthia Gould reported at the time, he stopped coming to meetings without explanation while his personal security business ran into trouble. (Joe Songer for al.com).Joe Songer. 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. Brookside, just north of Birmingham, already faces at least 10 lawsuits about its policing. 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 town could benefit from a formal complaint procedure to provide real time information on alleged racial profiling incidents or incidents of alleged misbehavior of any kind -- at the individual officer level. Will Ainsworth, have said Brookside and towns that use overly aggressive policing to fill their coffers must change. The report was released on September 29, 2022. IE 11 is not supported. This story was published with the support of a grant from Columbia Universitys Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights. Tiny Brooksides style of policing under Jones has become known nationally in recent weeks. 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. Officer Deshawn Mark Cook, who worked in Brookside as recently as Thursday, was arrested Friday on charges of first degree rape stemming from 2021. The courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. More than half the Brookside officers resigned or were fired this year as more and more people came forward to tell their stories about mistreatment in Brookside. Traffic tickets, and criminalizing those who passed through, became the citys leading industry. He and members of the town council complained of. Perform a free Brookside, AL public property records search, including property appraisals, unclaimed property, ownership searches, lookups, tax records, titles, deeds, and liens. You know, weve had a lot of issues with Brookside.. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts. I think its one of those situations that could possibly bring in the feds with some oversight, he said. 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