She called for the second town hall meeting this week.. Givan and Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway held the first town hall, in which 200 people gathered and 31 told stories of harassment and abuse. The police have ordered vehicles towed for lack of insurance, while ignoring owners' efforts to show insurance documentation. EOG was set up to provide security services for athletic events and other gatherings. In the meantime, well continue to make good on our promises to reform policing in Brookside, said Mayor Bryan on Wednesday. All Rights Reserved. I feel bad for those guys who struggle, Perez said. Bryan did not respond to questions about Savelle, or Jones hiring. He wanted to speak to someone who could take his badge.. 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. It resulted in Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones resigning Tuesday on the same day Alabama Lt. Gov. The officer said he would take them both to jail because she didnt have her ID. Another town hall is scheduled for Thursday at 6 pm at Birminghams Carver High School. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. (Joe Songer for AL.com).Joe Songer. Officials from the examiners office were believed to visit Brookside last week. 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.. Not for speeding, or running a stop sign, or any violation. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Its a former mining town, its population about the same as it was a decade ago. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit, originally filed on behalf of Cory Thomas, are Thomas; Tinetta Jackson; Keyarah Smith; Ben Blackwell; James Donahue; Gerald Smith; Brittany Todd; and Zachary Harris. 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. Town leadership should be proactive in providing oversight, accountability, and checks and balances in the Departments management and ensure that police operations comply with regulatory, judicial, ethical, and financial safeguards. 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 Brookside police staff, based on this data, came to one officer for every 84 residents in January. Brookside now faces at least five lawsuits. Will Ainsworth has requested an audit of Brooksides town and police force, and lawmakers across party lines have called for bills to help curb small-town policing for profit on Alabama Interstates. 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. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts.. soon after reports of the small towns aggressive policing, AL.com detailed how the department preyed on drivers. 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. Police put her in a patrol car and searched her vehicle for drugs. But my behavior was right. The town also provided a set of police stats Jones presented to the Brookside council to push for more resources and authority. They would not share the footage. 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. 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. He was released after posting $20,000 bail. Attempts to reach Savelle for comment were unsuccessful. Givan said this time she especially wants to hear from women. Brookside, Alabama - a poor town, 70% white, 21% black with a small but growing Hispanic population and a median income "well below the state average" has made national news because of the Brookside Police Department (BPD). 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. Police stacked fines on them, often towed their cars and generated revenue that went right back into the police department. He was released after posting $20,000 bail. When the deputy approached the car, he reported that the driver of the vehicle was holding a police badge out of the drivers window, according to the affidavit filed by the county to obtain a warrant for Jones. in the wake of news coverage about the arrest. BROOKSIDE, Ala. (WBRC) -The town of Brookside is facing another lawsuit. Police stops soared between 2018 and 2020. Mr. Bryan, as un-involved as he sounds, is as culpable as the others.. 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. When he got to court Dec. 2, he saw scores of people just like him lining up to stand before Judge Jim Wooten, complaining of penny-ante crimes and harassment by officers. She had an asthma attack and a panic attack, but when she knocked on the door to alert a guard, a jailer said if she continued to knock she would be charged with attempting to escape. It went from towing 50 vehicles in 2018 to 789 in 2020 each carrying fines. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Jones again as Mayor Bryan nodded said the goal of the department is only to help people. (Joe Songer for al.com).Joe Songer. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. August 18, 2015 Aerial Videography of Brookside, Alabama Trails Five Mile Creek on the Alabama Birding Trail September 24, 2014 Brookside walkng trail has been added to the Appalchian Highlands Birding Trail web site! 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. 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%. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Officers, dressed completely in dark, unmarked uniforms approached her, and one accused her of flickering her lights to warn others of their presence, her suit alleges. He stated that I issued threats, incited a riot, and slandered the Brookside Police Department in my Facebook posts. Model policies and procedures adopted in many places around the country provide a new standard of professionalism for law enforcement organizations. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts. Video above: Federal class action lawsuit filed against Town of Brookside, police officers Advertisement The police departments Facebook page it claims more than a million visitors became a vehicle for public shaming with embarrassing mugshots and derision for those who owe fines and fees Turn yourself in. It showed that total arrests custodial, misdemeanor and felony rose 1,109% from 2018 to 2020. Time after time they say they were pulled over by multiple officers in multiple vehicles for minor charges such as expired tag or following too closely, that they were searched, towed, and forced to pay large fines for violations many say they did not commit. Dozens of people who claim they were victimized by Brookside Police have come forward to tell their stories. And it broke her heart, it broke my heart.. 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. Brookside's police chief resigned in January 2022 following accusations of aggressive policing. Allan Armstrong, one of a group of lawyers who filed the complaint, said Brookside violated basic American rights. Police advocates, including Alabama Rep. Allen Treadaway, a Republican from Morris who was an assistant police chief at Birmingham and a Fraternal Order of Police leader, said a person with such a past should never have been hired as a police officer at all. Officers in Brookside have been accused in lawsuits of manufacturing reasons for traffic stops, overcharging and "making up laws," AL.com reported. 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. Brookside police made 4.4 arrests in 2020 for every household. 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. Mayor Bryan said he inherited a bad situation when he took over as mayor in November, and was fooled by Jones. Fallout over the Brookside revelations continues. Over the last several months, the Brookside Police Department has faced scrutiny over its ticketing practices, as well as alleged corruption. She said she tried to record the interaction after three officers in two vehicles pulled her car over, but an officer with a valknot symbol a Norse sign sometimes appropriated by white supremacists on a ring and one of his gun clips confiscated her phone. A manager at Dave & Busters in Hoover in 2019 called police on a man named James Bo Savelle III. He had a net worth of $55,000 and a monthly income of $2,244, according to federal records. "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 town of Brookside, Alabama holds municipal court once a month. Despite that, the Shelby County case was dropped without explanation under the condition that he pay $100. His car was towed with apologies from the tow-truck driver costing him several hundred dollars. We dont care about tickets, Jones said. Bryan served as president pro tem of the council for years, and performed the duties of mayor during the long illness of his predecessor. He was very upset about what happened, she said. She agrees that there was selective enforcement. By 2020 Brookside made more misdemeanor arrests than it has residents. BROOKSIDE, Ala. (WBRC) - WBRC confirmed Mike Jones resigned as Brookside Police Chief. The conclusion reads: This analysis suggests that whites receive substantially more favorable treatment with respect to warnings than other groups.. Written with the support of Columbia Universitys Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights. (Joe Songer for al.com).Joe Songer. The special report concludes with six recommendations for Brookside leaders and the Brookside Police Department. McDonald, the towns first dispatcher, said he too found Bryans statement lacking. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. He built the department from a one-man operation to a ticket-hungry department with 10 blacked-out. Brooksides police chief resigned in January 2022 following accusations of aggressive policing. 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. Former Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones was arrested May 2, 2022 in Covington County, Ala., charged with impersonating a police officer. He feels the police saw him as prey, and treated him as such. The town of Brookside confirmed that Chief Mike Jones resigned from his position in a brief press release Tuesday afternoon. Saw him as prey, and slandered the Brookside brookside, alabama police department to push more. 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