Brookside has two drug-sniffing dogs one named K9 Cash to search the cars of stopped motorists. It has had a continued practice of stopping and ticketing scores of vehicles daily, doing so without probable cause or reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing.. I just knew that I did not want to be part of a workplace that did such low-down things.. (Joe Songer for AL.com).Joe Songer. Scott Shackford | 1.19.2022 1:20 PM. In January of 2014 Savelle was arrested in Shelby County a county south of Birmingham that includes Helena on charges of public intoxication, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, court records show. But its a common charge in Brookside. Seven Brookside police officers have resigned since details of the towns aggressive policing strategy gained national attention in January. Popularity:#11 of 45 Police Departments in Jefferson County#69 of 565 Police Departments in Alabama#2,237 in Police Departments. In an email to her May 29, 2019, Mike Jones defended the stop, and the ability to ticket outside of Brookside. After I told him that I would not, he reported that they have two warrants for my arrest. The courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. BROOKSIDE, Ala. (WBRC) - WBRC confirmed Mike Jones resigned as Brookside Police Chief. Subscribe to our WBRC newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email. I was just looking at him like, so this is what this stop is about?. I think its one of those situations that could possibly bring in the feds with some oversight, he said. I wouldnt be surprised if they opened up an investigation. At Brookside municipal court, the courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. The man is still afraid of retaliation, and asked for anonymity. 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. Savelle was 32 at the time of his Hoover arrest, and was shown to have previous arrests for public intoxication, DUI, public lewdness, as well as multiple drug charges, the Hoover report said. In his call to Jones this week, the investigator said he could not tell me anything because of the ongoing investigation, Jones said. Please keep it more-or-less civil. Brookside officials this afternoon said in a statement that the Tahoe is registered in Jones name and does not belong to Brookside. He said response times were long because Brookside often had to rely on the Jefferson County Sheriffs department for service. The The Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts released an audit into Brookside in the Spring of 2022. 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 town could benefit from a formal complaint procedure to provide real time information on alleged racial profiling incidents or incidents of alleged misbehavior of any kind -- at the individual officer level. If you had more officers and more productivity youd have more, Jones said. Brookside has 1,253 people, according to the most recent census. 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. About a year ago, the former head of the Alabama Association of Chiefs of Police received several complaints about the Brookside Police Department. 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. 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. Despite that, the Shelby County case was dropped without explanation under the condition that he pay $100. 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. Source: Yahoo Images. 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. The next day she spoke to the husband of the woman who complained to Hoover police. 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 seems to want to push the blame off on everybody else when he and (former mayor) Roger McCondichie both appointed Mike Jones knowing about his past. In May of 2019, the month Brumlow was stopped, Brookside officers ticketed 75 people for driving in the left lane. 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). Find 12 external resources related to Brookside Police Department. 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. Ive seen it, DA Carr said. In 2020, she had explained her case this way to the AGs office: The person threatened me with an arrest if I did not take down my Facebook pictures and posts of their police officers, stop sending emails to the local politicians, as well as others, and show them (Brookside police) that I understand law enforcement practices.. It may cost some money to go through that process, he said. Turman said it critical to hold officers to a high standard. Neither the police nor the town have responded to questions since the original story ran. 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. Tiny Brookside's style of policing under Jones has become known nationally in recent weeks. Video above: Federal class action lawsuit filed against Town of Brookside, police officers Advertisement Instead, the arresting officer was listed as Agent JS, while the assisting officer was Agent AR.. Jetts Towing owner Wayne Jett could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. The complaint seeks to establish four separate sub classes: Lawyers for the plaintiffs want, among other things, all fines and convictions voided and seized property returned. I honestly dont think the towns gonna be able to come back from this. 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. It resulted in Brookside Police Chief Mike Jones resigning Tuesday on the same day Alabama Lt. Gov. 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. They were shining these flashlights in my car and it was daylight. James Sebestain Bo Savelle III (Photo courtesy of Hoover Police). Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, talks to reporters about reports of police abuses in the town of Brookside, which is in her Jefferson County district. Police Chief Mike Jones has since resigned, Lt. Gov. Brookside State: Alabama Zip Code: 35036-2000 County: Jefferson County Phone #: 205-674-9275 Fax #: 205-674-9547. All they do is take peoples rights. 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. But Brookside revenues from fines and forfeitures soared after that, and the towns law-enforcement goals and its reputation changed. On July 10th, 2019, 16 days after she paid her ticket, her phone rang. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Additional Information. 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 said hed like to see even more growth in revenue from fines and forfeitures. 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. I could take over the whole county with numbers like that, he joked. 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. Prosecutor Parnell issued a statement saying he did nothing wrong. Givan is still pushing for change in Brookside and says those responsible should be held accountable. She is unsure if he called the man. in the wake of news coverage about the arrest. Careful examination of individual officer behavior is also important. Perez is angry at his treatment. 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. In addition, she said, counting on fines and fees collected from people in lower income and marginalized communities only serves to punish them further. 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.. . They would not share the footage. Another would bar police from using unmarked cars for traffic stops. Yet that is hard to swallow for those who line up for court and face financial ruin because of citations. Brumlow pleaded not guilty, and had to go to court over and over again as the case was postponed. And 99% of them are lying.. That contributed a 14% chunk of the citys total income, a number that would be considered high in much of America. ABC 33/40s Cynthia Gould reported at the time. Last year, based on Jones testimony, Brookside had at least one officer for every 144 residents. But for this: The officer said the chiefs pretty upset about that post you put on Facebook. the Brookside man told AL.com. Fifth, the town needs help in fighting drug trafficking. I was working that night and I received a phone call from the Hoover police chief, she said. Brookside, Alabama, a former mining community of about 1,250 with a median household income less than $40,000, has no traffic lights and only a handful of two-lane roads, yet it raked in so. From 2018 to 2020, spending on police rose from $79,000 to $524,000, a 560% increase. Jones testified his officers wear gray uniforms with no Brookside insignias. Pettway also said issues with Brookside could draw the attention of the federal government. 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. In fact, they said in November they didnt know how that money is spent. Fairness and real justice, I believe, is something people are looking for when it comes to law enforcement. She called for the second town hall meeting this week.. 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