The town of Brookside, Alabama holds municipal court once a month. Brookside police made 4.4 arrests in 2020 for every household. 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. Address, Phone Number, and Fax Number for Brookside Police Department, a Police Department, at Main Street, Brookside AL. If we have to come get ya, well make you famous!, When you look at their Facebook pages its almost like they are bullies. You know, weve had a lot of issues with Brookside.. The town of Brookside, Alabama holds municipal court once a month. Over-policing can also create the perception of racial profiling when it appears to target minority citizens. Because the Town is launching the independent inquiry, the February 3 and 10 monthly court sessions are postponed until a date to be determined. 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. Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham has demanded the resignations of Bryan, Brookside City Attorney Mark Parnell and Municipal Judge Jim Wooten. He was charged with misdemeanor possession, but also five counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, for: The names of the officers were not listed on the tickets in secretive Brookside. Brookside's police chief resigned in January 2022 following accusations of aggressive policing. originally filed on behalf of Cory Thomas, AL.com in January reported how Brookside used fines and forfeitures, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. she added. 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 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. His statement said he is not taking questions. Jones is not alone in complaining about Brookside. James Sebestain Bo Savelle III (Photo courtesy of Hoover Police). The Brookside police staff, based on this data, came to one officer for every 84 residents in January. . The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. And local court officials have thrown out or called into question more than 100 cases involving Brookside police. He was also ticketed for improper signal, though he cant even fathom how that might have occurred. In December the mayor provided AL.com a budget document, based on previous years audits. The town also expanded its towing operations, going from 50 vehicles in 2018 to 789 in 2020. Ramon Perez felt that way as well, sitting in the courtroom and hearing defendants plead to the same charges over and over. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Brumlow pleaded not guilty, and had to go to court over and over again as the case was postponed. Updated 5:15 p.m. May 2 to add Brookside response. The police in the city of Brookside basically created their own policing system and for years have been able to get away with it and as the report says they endangered the lives of citizens and they should be held accountable for it, Givan said. 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. He is still torn, wondering if he should have fought the town harder. The goals should include elevating professionalism at each level of law enforcement and civilian oversight. The courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. All rights reserved (About Us). A judge set Halls fines at $6,000, and he had to post $12,000 bond while he appealed the case, an amount Weinberg considered excessive, and one that would prevent defendants without money or support from arguing their cases in state court. A man claims officers violated his civil rights and allegedly made-up charges. The town announced his departure in a statement, but would not comment further. 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 special report concludes with six recommendations for Brookside leaders and the Brookside Police Department. The deputy described a Brookside badge with a chief indicator at the bottom. When he declared bankruptcy in 2019, Jones owed $300,000 in tax liens and $2.2 million in total claims. He waved it around the restaurant, in front of customers and staff. People stand in line, waiting to get into the courtroom. People who were detained by Brookside officers beyond a traffic stop. About a year ago, the former head of the Alabama Association of Chiefs of Police received several complaints about the Brookside Police Department. That document budgeted $646,620 to the police this year. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. But its a common charge in Brookside. 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. "Ferguson made us realize it wasn't just Ferguson," said Priya Sarathy Jones, the national campaign director at the Fines and Fees Justice Center,which advocates for fees to be eliminated in the justice system and fines to be equitably enforced. They would not share the footage. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Perez is Hispanic, and his passenger was a Brookside resident, also Hispanic, who didnt have her purse with her, Perez said. Which is another problem altogether, Sheriff Pettway said. Prosecutor Parnell issued a statement saying he did nothing wrong. He reported that his Police Chief was mad.. 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. I can stand a thief better than a dirty cop. 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. In his call to Jones this week, the investigator said he could not tell me anything because of the ongoing investigation, Jones said. But an officer grabbed the phone and threw it to the ground, breaking it, the lawsuit says. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. It is unclear whether the resignations were forced, or if the officers chose to leave on their own, or a mixture of both. 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. Givan is holding a letter asking for the resignation of Mayor Mike Bryan. 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. Its more important now than ever before that law enforcement maintain high levels of professionalism and integrity, he said. For context, Birmingham city would have to more than triple the size of its force to equal a ratio of that in Brookside. 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. 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. Yet the Brookside stories come at an alarming rate. Brooksides police chief resigned in January 2022 following accusations of aggressive policing. The officer said he would take them both to jail because she didnt have her ID. IE 11 is not supported. She insists like many others stopped by Brookside police that she did not run the stop sign at all. They often say they had no idea why they were pulled over while passing near Brookside on Interstate 22. Because I am a police officer.. Brookside is a poor town, 70% white, 21% Black, with a small but growing Hispanic population and a median income well below the state average. 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. He swore hed seen the cop from a distance and was careful as he braked. First, it should avoid racial profiling and selective enforcement. Fourth, Brookside should avoid over-policing and overly broad traffic enforcement which creates the appearance of ticketing for revenue. That contributed a 14% chunk of the citys total income, a number that would be considered high in much of America. Smart, targeted strategies administered in an even-handed fashion will maximize results and public support for Brookside. (Joe Songer for AL.com).Joe Songer. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is the police department that serves the area, where Mike Hale is the sheriff. Suggest Listing It resulted in Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones resigning Tuesday on the same day Alabama Lt. Gov. 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. She spelled it out in her complaint to the AGs office and in notes to the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department, county commissioners and others. Brookside officials this afternoon said in a statement that the Tahoe is registered in Jones name and does not belong to Brookside. 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