John Walker was stopped in Brookside for following too closely. She fought it instead. I feel like they cant claim innocence in this situation., They saw dollar signs, she said of the mayors and the council. Over 200 people packed into the new Jefferson County Sheriffs Office Training Facility building to voice their complaints about aggressive policing by the Brookside Police Dept. The transformation of Brookside's police department began in 2018, under the direction of long-serving and now late Mayor Roger McCondichie. The town of Brookside, Alabama holds municipal court once a month. Perez ultimately decided to pay the $1,100 fine on top of hundreds hed already spent to get his towed car back and get the heck out of Brookside. 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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The town also provided a set of police stats Jones presented to the Brookside council to push for more resources and authority. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Mayor Bryan dismissed the complaints of those who must appear in court. 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. Related: Pastor, sister say rogue police force sought revenge. The courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. 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 Brookside Police Department, located in Brookside, Alabama is a law enforcement agency that has been granted specific police powers in Jefferson County. Ainsworth, also a Republican, told AL.com that his office would look at legislative options to determine how to prevent towns from taking advantage of drivers passing through on highways, a problem lawmakers acknowledged is happening across the state. We respect the process and its outcomes., Montague Minnifield talks passionately about his experience with Brookside Police. 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. Third, police leadership and individual officers would likely benefit from training focused not only on racial profiling, but also on overall traffic enforcement strategy. Savelle pulled out a Brookside Police Department badge before Hoover officers arrived, according to the report that cited witnesses and the presence of cameras. Its very uncertain as a citizen of Brookside now.. Still, police seized his car, and refused to return it, though they didnt begin official forfeiture proceedings. 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. Ive seen it, DA Carr said. But an officer grabbed the phone and threw it to the ground, breaking it, the lawsuit says. Please keep your posts factual and post links to reliable sources. The special report concludes with six recommendations for Brookside leaders and the Brookside Police Department. And local court officials have thrown out or called into question more than 100 cases involving Brookside police. There are only 1,253 people in Brookside, and one store, the Dollar General. The deputy described a Brookside badge with a chief indicator at the bottom. 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. Seven Brookside police officers have resigned since details of the towns aggressive policing strategy gained national attention in January. BROOKSIDE, Ala. ( WIAT) Tuesday's town hall called to discuss issues involving the Brookside Police Department is already causing change to happen. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Wattson claims he was unaware of the drugs. People stopped by Brookside police more than a mile and half outside the town limits. "Brookside is a continuation of that story almost 10 years later. People stand in line, waiting to get into the courtroom. No communitysmall or large can do it alone. They were doing the same thing to every person that was there. Dozens of people who claim they were victimized by Brookside Police have come forward to tell their stories. State agencies have since launched audits and investigations of police there, and officials such as Alabama Lt. Gov. All rights reserved (About Us). It's a story that is really egregious and heinous for a variety of reasons.". This is the statement from the Town of Brookside: Mike Jones resigned as the Police Chief for the Town of Brookside. Givan said this time she especially wants to hear from women. I think its one of those situations that could possibly bring in the feds with some oversight, he said. BROOKSIDE, Ala. (WBRC) - WBRC confirmed Mike Jones resigned as Brookside Police Chief. Do you understand what you are charged with? the judge asked on that first Thursday in December. Additional Information. Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway said the same. The courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. Brumlow pleaded not guilty, and had to go to court over and over again as the case was postponed. I feel bad for those guys who struggle, Perez said. 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. 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! He reported that his Police Chief was mad.. 43 Brookside should consider such a policy. Jones was stopped on April 12 by a Covington County deputy after being clocked driving 78 mph in a 55 zone on Alabama 55 south. WVTM 13 Digital. I could take over the whole county with numbers like that, he joked. Minnifield says he was a passenger in car stopped for driving with an improper tag, and that he was detained, among other things. Neither the police nor the town have responded to questions since the original story ran. Will Ainsworth, have said Brookside and towns that use overly aggressive policing to fill their coffers must change. Video above: Federal class action lawsuit filed against Town of Brookside, police officers Advertisement Brookside, Ala., may only have 10 kilometres of roads, one store and a volunteer fire department, but its police force has an armoured truck; two police dogs; nine unmarked vehicles, seven. Subscribe to our WBRC newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email. There were two cars and one SUV that surrounded my car and police were everywhere, she wrote. A Hoover officer wrote that Savelle had his Brookside badge and a gun in his pocket, though he initially lied about being armed when asked by officers.. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. And it broke her heart, it broke my heart.. She pulled to the side of the road as the SUV pulled behind her, and a wrecker simultaneously parked nearby. Savelle was second in command at Brookside, which came under fire two weeks ago when an AL.com story revealed a department so intent on ticketing and criminalizing motorists that by 2020 it came to draw half the towns revenue from fines and forfeitures. I think it could be more.. 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. 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. BROOKSIDE, Ala. (WBRC) - We're learning more about complaints against the Brookside Police Department, this time from other members of law enforcement. Its not about making a dollar, Jones said. Sheriff Pettway said those who face charges in Brookside and want to ensure justice can get a bond and appeal their case. Over the last several months, the Brookside Police Department has faced scrutiny over its ticketing practices, as well as alleged corruption. He returned to his job as second in command with consent of the town council, Hudgens said. Unsure what was happening, Harris dialed 911. 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). In December the mayor provided AL.com a budget document, based on previous years audits. CNN's Nick Valencia. "You're taking the money for them to potentially get that light fixed by making them pay a fine.". Ramon Perez felt that way as well, sitting in the courtroom and hearing defendants plead to the same charges over and over. Brookside has two drug-sniffing dogs one named K9 Cash to search the cars of stopped motorists. 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. Most of the vehicles Brookside Police drive are unmarked, and tinted. Brandon McDonald, another former dispatcher the first hired by Brookside after Chief Jones took over in 2018 and created the position said Jones had a long association with Savelle. The courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. See also: Savelle among those sued by preacher who claimed Brookside revenge. It may cost some money to go through that process, he said. 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. Instead, the arresting officer was listed as Agent JS, while the assisting officer was Agent AR.. Terms and Conditions. After being pulled over on Interstate 22 for allegedly speeding in February 2021, Anyl Pascal was arrested by Brookside police and taken to jail. [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. The town of Brookside, Alabama holds municipal court once a month. 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. From 2018 to 2020, spending on police rose from $79,000 to $524,000, a 560% increase. I honestly dont think the towns gonna be able to come back from this. 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. People who were stopped by Brookside police and fined more than the state allows. 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). 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. Former Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones, in a photo taken by WAAO News' Blaine Wilson, after turning himself in. Leadership at every level of government is required to make our cities and towns safer. This analysis suggests that whites receive substantially more favorable treatment with respect to warnings than other groups.. All rights reserved (About Us). That document budgeted $646,620 to the police this year. 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