The Brookside Police Department's practices include stacking charges so that a single violation results in a handful of charges, with corresponding fines, fees and court costs for each. Leadership should be aware that large-scale statistical analyses are inherently untimely and mask individual behavior. Smart, targeted strategies administered in an even-handed fashion will maximize results and public support for Brookside. Then-Council member Bryan was there each time the police department reported their revenues to them during council meetings. Erik Ortiz is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital focusing on racial injustice and social inequality. 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. Unsure what was happening, Harris dialed 911. The next day she spoke to the husband of the woman who complained to Hoover police. The caller identified himself as a Det. The report was released on September 29, 2022. Popularity:#11 of 45 Police Departments in Jefferson County#69 of 565 Police Departments in Alabama#2,237 in Police Departments. BROOKSIDE, Ala. (WBRC) - A special report regarding racial profiling in the Town of Brooksides Traffic Enforcement Program was released by the city-appointed investigator, former Circuit Court Judge Ken Simon. Additional Information. His car was towed with apologies from the tow-truck driver costing him several hundred dollars. In 2020 they came to $610,000. Neither the police nor the town have responded to questions since the original story ran. Tiny Brooksides style of policing under Jones has become known nationally in recent weeks. And the police chief has called for more. I was working that night and I received a phone call from the Hoover police chief, she said. Brookside Police Department Contact Information Address, Phone Number, and Fax Number for Brookside Police Department, a Police Department, at Main Street, Brookside AL. Third party advertisements support hosting, listing verification, updates, and site maintenance. The towns administrative expenditures rose 40% and overall spending jumped 112%, from $553,000 in 2018 to $1.2 million in 2020. Jones lawyer, Bryan, did not return calls today. 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. Information found on CountyOffice.org is strictly for informational purposes and does not construe legal, financial or medical advice. At least three bills are now before the Legislature that would affect those cities. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts. We had no knowledge of Mike Jones whereabouts after his resignation January 25, Mayor Mike Bryan said. Fairness and real justice, I believe, is something people are looking for when it comes to law enforcement. 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. 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. The news outlet found that Jones positioned officers to stop motorists so aggressively that income from traffic fines and forfeitures rose 640 percent from 2018 to 2020, from about $82,000 to more than $610,000. In a statement, Brookside City Attorney Mark Parnell said that as the local prosecutor, he has "strived to ensure" only police charges with merit moved forward or were otherwise dismissed. Perez is angry at his treatment. They often say they had no idea why they were pulled over while passing near Brookside on Interstate 22. James Sebestain Bo Savelle III (Photo courtesy of Hoover Police). Ive never seen a possession case split like that, he said. Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham has demanded the resignations of Bryan, Brookside City Attorney Mark Parnell and Municipal Judge Jim Wooten. A man claims officers violated his civil rights and allegedly made-up charges. Mr. Bryan, as un-involved as he sounds, is as culpable as the others.. 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. She has watched and documented stops there. All rights reserved (About Us). Brookside's police chief resigned in January 2022 following accusations of aggressive policing. 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. If you want to go out there and do something like that, you are creating a law., Perez said the officer went absolutely crazy over her lack of ID. Johnson, though it is unclear if Brookside had a Detective Johnson. 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. [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 special report concludes with six recommendations for Brookside leaders and the Brookside Police Department. He said people have stories about their cars getting towed and being left on the side of the road, then being charged by both the town and the impound company to get their vehicles back, on top of daily storage fees. He swore hed seen the cop from a distance and was careful as he braked. They would not share the footage. Copyright 2022 WBRC. On July 10th, 2019, 16 days after she paid her ticket, her phone rang. Vincent Witt and his sister, Tareya, who said the small police department fabricated charges against them and listed them as fugitives because Witt complained about an officers racist remark. The town announced his departure in a statement, but would not comment further. 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. Brookside police officers in sworn depositions indicated they did not follow drivers for a full mile and a half before or after the new law was passed, and they continued to write tickets under the old law after the new road rage bill passed. He was also ticketed for improper signal, though he cant even fathom how that might have occurred. The conclusion reads: We conclude our report by recommending that new Brookside Police Department leadership adopt specific policies aimed at targeting its law enforcement efforts in more strategic ways. 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. Model policies and procedures adopted in many places around the country provide a new standard of professionalism for law enforcement organizations. During his time as a council member, Mike Bryan voted for and helped to pass ordinances strengthening the Brookside Police Department in addition to passing city budgets with revenues increasing over 600%, she said. 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. 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. This is the statement from the Town of Brookside: Mike Jones resigned as the Police Chief for the Town of Brookside. after AL.coms original report on Brookside. The officers, though many, were not well paid. 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). Jones could not be reached for comment on this report. Ramon Perez felt that way as well, sitting in the courtroom and hearing defendants plead to the same charges over and over. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Will Ainsworth requested a state audit, and amid calls for state and federal investigations. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. As Brookside's earnings draw further scrutiny, with Givan planning a town hall Tuesday to allow people who say they've been exploited by the police force to come forward, advocacy organizations are emphasizing that it is no outlier and highlights how across the country, traffic fines and related fees are being used to fill municipal coffers at the expense of people who are often financially struggling and from communities of color. There is no trust," Representative Juandalynn Givan said. She vividly recalls the events of that night and the following day. It parked a riot control vehicle townspeople call it a tank outside the municipal complex and community center. Fallout over the Brookside revelations continues. Its unheard of.. Givan is holding a letter asking for the resignation of Mayor Mike Bryan. The officer said We have had people stop and record us, she said, like it explained his actions.. 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! They were shining these flashlights in my car and it was daylight. The citizens of this state and those traveling through this state should enjoy the opportunity to freely access our roadways, he said. In a two-year period after Jones hiring, income from fines and forfeitures rose more than 600 percent, and that money made up 49 percent of the towns income. "There is no coming back from this. 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. He built the department from a one-man operation to a ticket-hungry department with 10 blacked-out. He was very ugly from the start.. We encourage Brookside to form more partnerships with local, state and federal authorities to fully take back the town. Perez is Hispanic, and his passenger was a Brookside resident, also Hispanic, who didnt have her purse with her, 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. Fines and forfeitures seizures of cars during traffic stops, among other things doubled from 2018 to 2019. Do you understand what you are charged with? the judge asked on that first Thursday in December. The office of state Attorney General Steve Marshall, a Republican, declined to comment Friday about the traffic stops in Brookside. At Brookside municipal court, the courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. Was towed with apologies from the town of Brookside: Mike Jones resigned as the police nor the of... 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