He waved it around the restaurant, in front of customers and staff. 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 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. Its not about making a dollar, Jones said. Covington County's affidavit for a warrant to arrest former Brookside police chief Mike Jones. 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.. In a sworn deposition in the civil suit Jeff Brumlow said he went to court three times before the case was ultimately dropped, and saw many people hed guess 25 to 30% of all defendants charged with the dubious left lane violation. 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 [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. Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, and GOP Lt. Gov. Third party advertisements support hosting, listing verification, updates, and site maintenance. The goals should include elevating professionalism at each level of law enforcement and civilian oversight. A department of nine officers in a 1,253-person town is far larger than average. If you had more officers and more productivity youd have more, Jones said. Arrests on Brookside warrants went from zero to 243 in the span of two years, according to statistics Chief Jones presented to the council. 43 Brookside should consider such a policy. All rights reserved (About Us). He informed me that my case was never closed, said Jones, who lives in Forestdale near Birmingham. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. About a year ago, the former head of the Alabama Association of Chiefs of Police received several complaints about the Brookside Police Department. Jones says she was polite to the officer, but was convinced the ticket was unfounded and given outside the Brookside police jurisdiction. I cant stand a dirty cop, Sheriff Turman told AL.com. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Arrest powers are not confined to city limits or jurisdictional boundaries except within the State of Alabama.. Erik Ortiz is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital focusing on racial injustice and social inequality. 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. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. This is shocking, said Crowder. 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. See also: Savelle among those sued by preacher who claimed Brookside revenge. For context, Birmingham city would have to more than triple the size of its force to equal a ratio of that in Brookside. Last year, based on Jones testimony, Brookside had at least one officer for every 144 residents. And so thats why I decided to fight.. Additional Information. They tell, with consistency, of specious tickets and arrests, of retaliation by a police department and by a chief who challenged those who questioned him as he sought to build an empire on the backs of drivers. There is no trust," Representative Juandalynn Givan said. 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. 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 material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Jones resigned January 25th, six days after AL.com published a story outlining Brookside policing and a court system that collected 49 percent of the towns 2020 revenue from fines and forfeitures, a practice lambasted by residents, drivers, top law enforcement officials and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. I clearly did not run the stop sign as I had just seen them sitting on top of I-22 overpass. 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. And it broke her heart, it broke my heart.. The resignation follows an investigative report by al.com. But lawyers and law enforcement officers across central Alabama have raised questions about things in Brookside they say they have never otherwise come across. 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. Givan is still pushing for change in Brookside and says those responsible should be held accountable. (Photographerlondon / Dreamstime.com) Brookside, Alabama, has a population of less than 1,500 people. All rights reserved (About Us). "Brookside is a continuation of that story almost 10 years later. Hudgens told Jones about the call and gave him the mans contact information. Not all of them can afford to pay their fines as he did, and some have been put on payment plans. In Brookside, complaints about retaliation have come time and time again, as in the case of Rev. 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. (Joe Songer for AL.com).Joe Songer. It is what happened after the stop that is most concerning to him. It was something that I should not have been stopped for, Brumlow said in sworn testimony. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. called for the second town hall meeting this week. Address, Phone Number, and Fax Number for Brookside Police Department, a Police Department, at Main Street, Brookside AL. It has had a continued practice of stopping and ticketing scores of vehicles daily, doing so without probable cause or reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing.. In 2020 they came to $610,000. 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. Nationally, the average size of a force is one officer for every 588 residents, according to a Governing Magazine study that relied on federal statistics. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Careful examination of individual officer behavior is also important. 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. But if you want real justice, I think youll go through the process. 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. Seven Brookside police officers have resigned since details of the towns aggressive policing strategy gained national attention in January. The report was released on September 29, 2022. I just knew that I did not want to be part of a workplace that did such low-down things.. I have never been in any trouble only had one speeding ticket. We get calls about Brookside quite regularly because they really go outside their jurisdiction to stop people, Pettway said. I saw the same attitude in every officer and every person, he said. Find Brookside residential property records including property owners, sales & transfer history, deeds & titles, property taxes, valuations, land, zoning records & more. Because the Town is launching the independent inquiry, the February 3 and 10 monthly court sessions are postponed until a date to be determined. 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. On the other end was a caller IDd as coming from the Brookside Town Hall, she said. Months of research and dozens of interviews by AL.com found that Brooksides finances are rocket-fueled by tickets and aggressive policing. Thats 49% of the small towns skyrocketing revenue. A man claims officers violated his civil rights and allegedly made-up charges. The town survives on the fringes of Birmingham with tax revenue from the Dollar General, which forms the totality of its commercial district. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The complaint alleges numerous constitutional violations, and we believe the citizens need to be protected from illegal actions by the Town of Brookside.. That meeting will be at 6 p.m. at the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office Training Center in Fultondale, 3500 Happy Hollow Lane. (Joe Songer for AL.com).Joe Songer. He was very ugly from the start.. And theyre saying they were nowhere near Brookside.. It may cost some money to go through that process, he said. A police department in Brookside, Alabama, is facing allegations of policing for profit and defamation lawsuits after residents say they've received bogus charges. Like those on Dec. 2. John Walker was stopped in Brookside for following too closely. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts. 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. I honestly dont think the towns gonna be able to come back from this. Sarathy Jones said the issues in Brookside should be a warning for towns and small cities to examine their revenue sources and ensure their local governments aren't turning to law enforcement as moneymaking arms. You know, weve had a lot of issues with Brookside.. 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. Ultimately another officer took Perez to his friends house to retrieve her ID, he said. Everybodys got a story, he said. It did not feature a breakout of the police department. "You're taking the money for them to potentially get that light fixed by making them pay a fine.". He said response times were long because Brookside often had to rely on the Jefferson County Sheriffs department for service. 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. The citizens of this state and those traveling through this state should enjoy the opportunity to freely access our roadways, he said. Allan Armstrong, one of a group of lawyers who filed the complaint, said Brookside violated basic American rights. Jones blamed the lawsuits on ambulance-chasing attorneys.. People stopped by Brookside police more than a mile and half outside the town limits. Officer Deshawn Mark Cook, who worked in Brookside as recently as Thursday, was arrested Friday on charges of first degree rape stemming from 2021. Find agency contact, demographics, type, population served and more. Video above: Federal class action lawsuit filed against Town of Brookside, police officers Advertisement But it's also prevalent across the country. 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 Town of Brookside is committed to reforming our police department and setting a new standard for community policing in Brookside and Alabama," says Bryan. Sheriff Pettway said those who face charges in Brookside and want to ensure justice can get a bond and appeal their case. However, our analysis did find significant evidence of selective enforcement with respect to warning tickets. (Joe Songer for AL.com).Joe Songer. The officers, though many, were not well paid. In the meantime, well continue to make good on our promises to reform policing in Brookside, said Mayor Bryan on Wednesday. In the second town hall meeting hosted by Rep. Juandalynn Givan and Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway, attendees addressed more concerns with the city's police. But Brookside revenues from fines and forfeitures soared after that, and the towns law-enforcement goals and its reputation changed. 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.. He stated that I issued threats, incited a riot, and slandered the Brookside Police Department in my Facebook posts. 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. 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). This story was published with the support of a grant from Columbia Universitys Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights. The deputy described a Brookside badge with a chief indicator at the bottom. 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. He reported that his Police Chief was mad.. The The Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts released an audit into Brookside in the Spring of 2022. Despite that, the Shelby County case was dropped without explanation under the condition that he pay $100. Officer Deshawn Mark Cook, who worked in Brookside as recently as Thursday, was arrested Friday on charges of first degree rape stemming from 2021. 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. 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%. 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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The town's median household income is less than $40,000, according to demographic data. 2711 Municipal Dr. Brookside, AL 35036. 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. They let her out of jail at midnight, long after her family had made bond. The town of Brookside, Alabama holds municipal court once a month. County Office is not affiliated with any government agency. Brookside has 1,253 people, according to the most recent census. If we have to come get ya, well make you famous!, When you look at their Facebook pages its almost like they are bullies. 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. The town of Brookside, Alabama holds municipal court once a month. 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. 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