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. AL.com published a story outlining Brookside policing, , former Lt. James Bo Savelle III, resigned Jan. 31. says he was a passenger in car stopped for driving with an improper tag, and that he was detained, among other things. 205-674-9275. They were doing the same thing to every person that was there. she added. They were shining these flashlights in my car and it was daylight. About Us Contact Us If you have a witness with you, theyre gonna issue you a warning., I felt that basically, that this was a way for them to make money to fund their city off the backs of citizens from other areas. (Joe Songer for AL.com).Joe Songer. Ainsworth called for a financial audit by the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts and vowed the state would investigate Brookside and towns like it. We get calls about Brookside quite regularly because they really go outside their jurisdiction to stop people, Pettway said. Advocates for justice reform, cops in other jurisdictions, even Jefferson Countys top law enforcement officials, have begun to question the towns tactics, and its need for an expanding force. The military-styled vehicles have already been returned to the State, our police cars have been re-striped, and the Town is investing in new, easily identifiable uniforms for the police officers., Civil RICO case filed again by John Archibald. 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. Bryan served as president pro tem of the council for years, and performed the duties of mayor during the long illness of his predecessor. She spelled it out in her complaint to the AGs office and in notes to the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department, county commissioners and others. He was released after posting $20,000 bail. The deputy has since also issued a speeding ticket to go along with the impersonation charge.. The interim chief and Town leaders announced reforms within the police department in February 2022. 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. In his call to Jones this week, the investigator said he could not tell me anything because of the ongoing investigation, Jones said. The issue gained prominence in the wake of the 2014 fatal police shooting of Michael Brown, a Black teenager, in Ferguson, Missouri, when a report by a St. Louis-area public defender group found that Black drivers in Ferguson were more likely to be stopped by police and local courts were abusing their power by charging high fines and fees for nonviolent offenses, sometimes leading to arrests when they went unpaid. They often say they had no idea why they were pulled over while passing near Brookside on Interstate 22. Even the claims of retaliation for social media posts are not unusual in Brookside. There were two cars and one SUV that surrounded my car and police were everywhere, she wrote. He saw so many people trying to park in the grassy field outside the municipal building that police had to direct traffic. All rights reserved (About Us). Please keep your posts factual and post links to reliable sources. They are sworn Law Enforcement Officers certified by the Alabama Peace Officers Standards Training (sic) Commission. 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. Periodic review of bodycam video can be used to monitor and investigate possible profiling or other alleged misconduct. Brumlows uncle, Jeff Brumlow, is the longtime prosecutor and city attorney for the city of Alabaster, and a GOP candidate for Shelby County district judge. Which is exactly what the town is banking on, according to those who have watched Brookside grow into one of Alabamas biggest, most troublesome traffic traps. Hall did appeal, and a Jefferson County judge ultimately dismissed the charges. In December the mayor provided AL.com a budget document, based on previous years audits. 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. Do you understand what you are charged with? the judge asked on that first Thursday in December. Jones resigned January 25th, six days after AL.com published a story outlining Brookside policing and a court system that collected 49 percent of the towns 2020 revenue from fines and forfeitures, a practice lambasted by residents, drivers, top law enforcement officials and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. James Sebestain Bo Savelle III (Photo courtesy of Hoover Police). 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. At Brookside municipal court, the courtroom and the parking lot are packed with people. 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%. Chief Jones testified under oath that just one of the 10 Brookside vehicles is painted with police striping, but nine others bear no emblems, and seven are tinted all the way around, making it impossible to see inside. The office of state Attorney General Steve Marshall, a Republican, declined to comment Friday about the traffic stops in Brookside. 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. Arrest powers are not confined to city limits or jurisdictional boundaries except within the State of Alabama.. Privacy Policy The officer went on to say any more backlash like that towards his police department and itll be far worse than a ticket., I just stared at him, the man said. The report was released on September 29, 2022. Savelle on Monday resigned from the Brookside Department, hours after AL.com asked city officials about his past. They gave me a ticket for running a stop sign. 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. 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. 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. A 2019 report in Governing magazine found that fines and forfeitures account for more than 10 percent of general fund revenues for nearly 600 jurisdictions throughout the country, and in jurisdictions where fines accounted for more than 20 percent, the local median household income was less than $40,000. He said response times were long because Brookside often had to rely on the Jefferson County Sheriffs department for service. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts. The complaint alleges numerous constitutional violations, and we believe the citizens need to be protected from illegal actions by the Town of Brookside.. In 2018, reporters for ABC 33/40 said they asked the former mayor of Brookside about Jones financial problems when he was hired. As more tickets brought in more money, the town began to spend much more. 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. The citizens of this state and those traveling through this state should enjoy the opportunity to freely access our roadways, he said. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. The Justice Department is urging a federal judge to let a class-action lawsuit go forward against an Alabama town accused of policing for profit with excessive fines and aggressive enforcement of local laws. He built the department from a one-man operation to a ticket-hungry department with 10 blacked-out vehicles, two drug-sniffing dogs and a riot control vehicle. Most of the time people get stopped, theyre going to get a ticket. 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. called for a financial audit by the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts, Mike Bryan has called for Brookside police to stop patrolling Interstate 22, 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, Givan and Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway want to hear more, and will hold a town hall meeting, 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. Like those on Dec. 2. A former judge appointed to investigate claims of police abuses in the tiny Alabama town of Brookside, just north of Birmingham, has found a pattern of bullying that preyed on the poor and. Find agency contact, demographics, type, population served and more. The town of Brookside, Alabama holds municipal court once a month. 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 special report concludes with six recommendations for Brookside leaders and the Brookside Police Department. Stephanie Franklin, a Jefferson County employee, told AL.com she was a passenger in a car stopped last year for an expired tag. Police must direct traffic before the 1 p.m. court session starts. I should have brought a lawyer, but right now my time is not there, he said. They own the town.. If you had more officers and more productivity youd have more, Jones said. He is still torn, wondering if he should have fought the town harder. We will be reviewing the details of the allegations with the Towns legal counsel. According to AL.com's investigation, Jones, who was hired in 2018, built a police department of 10 or more full-time and part-time officers to patrol Brookside's 6 miles of roads and 1 mile jurisdiction along Interstate 22, a corridor between Birmingham and Memphis, Tennessee. We dont like writing tickets.. In May of 2019, the month Brumlow was stopped, Brookside officers ticketed 75 people for driving in the left lane. Most of the vehicles Brookside Police drive are unmarked, and tinted. I wouldnt be surprised if they opened up an investigation. Because the Town is launching the independent inquiry, the February 3 and 10 monthly court sessions are postponed until a date to be determined. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. WVTM 13 Digital. Ive been irritated in these comments that come from Mike Bryan, McDonald said. They've also been accused of using racist language in a community that is majority white, but also has a Black population of nearly 25 percent and a small but growing Latino population. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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 wanted to speak to someone who could take his badge.. The man is still afraid of retaliation, and asked for anonymity. Its not about making a dollar, Jones said. 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