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. In May of 2019, the month Brumlow was stopped, Brookside officers ticketed 75 people for driving in the left lane. Brookside Police Department Contact Information Address, Phone Number, and Fax Number for Brookside Police Department, a Police Department, at Main Street, Brookside AL. He had a net worth of $55,000 and a monthly income of $2,244, according to federal records. In the meantime, well continue to make good on our promises to reform policing in Brookside, said Mayor Bryan on Wednesday. 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. Disparities in the rate at which drivers were stopped do not appear to be significantly different from the rate in which drivers racial and ethnic groups populate 4 Jefferson County. Brookside officers have been accused in lawsuits of fabricating charges, using racist language and making up laws to stack counts on passersby. Related: Pastor, sister say rogue police force sought revenge. I could take over the whole county with numbers like that, he joked. Allan Armstrong, one of a group of lawyers who filed the complaint, said Brookside violated basic American rights. The accounts of drivers dozens of them are strikingly similar. His car was towed with apologies from the tow-truck driver costing him several hundred dollars. The suit also names 23 current and former officers as individual defendants. All rights reserved (About Us). He has not commented since. 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. 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. Because the Town is launching the independent inquiry, the February 3 and 10 monthly court sessions are postponed until a date to be determined. Not all of them can afford to pay their fines as he did, and some have been put on payment plans. Its not about making a dollar, Jones said. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. What happens is when it gets to be so egregious, when you go a little bit too far and you take it to an extreme as the city of Brookside did, it just wasnt about selective enforcement, it becomes routine, Givan said. Then-Council member Bryan was there each time the police department reported their revenues to them during council meetings. Seven Brookside police officers have resigned since January Published: Feb. 09, 2022, 10:00 a.m. Netta Womack tells her story about Brookside police at a town hall Tuesday February 1, 2022.. Stephanie Franklin, a Jefferson County employee, told AL.com she was a passenger in a car stopped last year for an expired tag. In December the mayor provided AL.com a budget document, based on previous years audits. Ive seen it, DA Carr said. 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. 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. 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). 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. She is unsure if he called the man. They are sworn Law Enforcement Officers certified by the Alabama Peace Officers Standards Training (sic) Commission. He agreed to represent his niece in her traffic case. After learning of those statements, Rep. Givan again said the three need to resign. 205-674-9275. I was the one that informed him that Mike Jones was in Washington D.C. and that Bo was the acting chief.. I should have brought a lawyer, but right now my time is not there, he said. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. However, our analysis did find significant evidence of selective enforcement with respect to warning tickets. BROOKSIDE, Ala. (WBRC) - We're learning more about complaints against the Brookside Police Department, this time from other members of law enforcement. But Savelle would not be fired. Brookside now faces at least five lawsuits. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The officers, though many, were not well paid. 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. Address, Phone Number, and Fax Number for Brookside Police Department, a Police Department, at Main Street, Brookside AL. Fourth, Brookside should avoid over-policing and overly broad traffic enforcement which creates the appearance of ticketing for revenue. The police wont do anything, Savelle is quoted in the report as saying. County Office is not affiliated with any government agency. Between April 2018 and June 2020, they handed out 406 of those tickets, or about 15 a month, according to documents filed in the lawsuit. 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. I was working that night and I received a phone call from the Hoover police chief, she said. Savelle made $15.82 an hour, and all others made less. Kimberlee Hudgens was a dispatcher at the Brookside Police Department at the time of Savelles Hoover arrest. He saw so many people trying to park in the grassy field outside the municipal building that police had to direct traffic. The town also expanded its towing operations, going from 50 vehicles in 2018 to 789 in 2020. 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. However, Jones resigned or was let go from Brooksides police department on Jan. 25, soon after reports of the small towns aggressive policing drew the attention of state lawmakers and local officials. It's a story that is really egregious and heinous for a variety of reasons.". Dozens of people who claim they were victimized by Brookside Police have come forward to tell their stories. Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones, who spearheaded the change and grew the police department tenfold, at least, calls the towns policing a positive story. Mayor Mike Bryan a former councilman who assumed his position last year after the death of the previous mayor sits and nods in agreement. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Givan is holding a letter asking for the resignation of Mayor Mike Bryan. Yet the town with no traffic lights collected $487 in fines and forfeitures in 2020 for every man, woman and child, though many of those fined were merely passing by on I-22. 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 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Arrest powers are not confined to city limits or jurisdictional boundaries except within the State of Alabama.. 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. Everybodys got a story, 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. Walker told the judge he will fight the charge. "There is no coming back from this. The complaint seeks return of property and damages. As more tickets brought in more money, the town began to spend much more. Ramon Perez felt that way as well, sitting in the courtroom and hearing defendants plead to the same charges over and over. See also: Savelle among those sued by preacher who claimed Brookside revenge. CountyOffice.org does not provide consumer reports and is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). And so thats why I decided to fight.. Prosecutor Parnell issued a statement saying he did nothing wrong. In 2020 they came to $610,000. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. I think it could be more.. Turman said it critical to hold officers to a high standard. She thought the complaint was long forgotten or closed. Former Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones, in a photo taken by WAAO News' Blaine Wilson, after turning himself in. State Representative Juandalynn Givan isnt surprised by the report. 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. Givan and Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway want to hear more, and will hold a town hall meeting today. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. ABC 33/40s Cynthia Gould reported at the time. 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. Former Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones was arrested May 2, 2022 in Covington County, Ala., charged with impersonating a police officer. Those charges include possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, according to state records. About a year ago, the former head of the Alabama Association of Chiefs of Police received several complaints about the Brookside Police Department. We get calls about Brookside quite regularly because they really go outside their jurisdiction to stop people, Pettway said. Officials from the examiners office were believed to visit Brookside last week. 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. [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. Mr. Bryan, as un-involved as he sounds, is as culpable as the others.. The deputy has since also issued a speeding ticket to go along with the impersonation charge.. BROOKSIDE, Ala. (WBRC) - WBRC confirmed Mike Jones resigned as Brookside Police Chief. Brumlow pleaded not guilty, and had to go to court over and over again as the case was postponed. The special report concludes with six recommendations for Brookside leaders and the Brookside Police Department. We dont care about tickets, Jones said. He said response times were long because Brookside often had to rely on the Jefferson County Sheriffs department for service. Hudgens told Jones about the call and gave him the mans contact information. Thats 49% of the small towns skyrocketing revenue. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WIAT) As the Brookside Police Department debacle continues, the call for Mayor Mike Bryan and other leaders to resign still rings among those who have been victims by the city's officers. Sheriff Pettway said those who face charges in Brookside and want to ensure justice can get a bond and appeal their case. Brookside has operated its police and court system with the primary objective of obtaining revenue from motorists traveling on or near Interstate-22, Harris lawyers wrote in a suit filed last year. 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. Brookside Mayor Mike Bryan said in a statement, We cannot comment on the lawsuits filed Monday. Hoover police arrested Savelle for public intoxication and two counts of harassment that night, saying he was intoxicated to the point of being a danger to himself and to others. The woman told police she did wish to press charges. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. It did not feature a breakout of the police department. 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. 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. 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