Police chief in Alabama town noted for traffic trap resigns

BROOKSIDE, Ala. — The police chief of a northern Alabama town resigned Tuesday amid allegations that he set up an aggressive traffic trap that by 2020 accounted for nearly half of the town’s revenue.

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Mike Jones resigned as Brookside police chief, according to a news release. Jones had been accused of using the department to ticket motorists on offenses -- many of them minor -- as they drove past the town on Interstate 22, AL.com reported.

“This will confirm that earlier today, Mike Jones resigned as the Police Chief for the Town of Brookside,” Tuesday’s statement from town clerk Debbie Keedy read. “Since this involves a personnel matter, the town has no further comment.”

On Wednesday, Brookside asked the Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission to perform a compliance audit of the police department, WIAT-TV reported. The agency agreed to “immediately” initiate the audit.

In addition, Alabama Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth officially requested a full audit of the town, “focusing on, but not limited to, their police department, municipal court, general and departmental funds,” WBRC-TV reported.

According to AL.com, in a two-year period between 2018 and 2020, Brookside revenues from fines and forfeitures soared more than 640% and now account for 49% of the town’s $1.2 million budget. The main source of income was the speed trap along I-22.

Brookside, a former mining town in north Jefferson County, has only 1,253 residents, AL.com reported. Jones, as police chief, built a force of 10 or more full- and part-time officers with 10 dark vehicles that patrol I-22, the website reported.

A federal lawsuit contended that the left lane tickets written on I-22 by Brookside police were unlawful, WMBA-TV reported.

“Brookside is a poster child for policing for profit,” Carla Crowder, the director of Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, told AL.com. “We are not safer because of it.”

Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway said his department has received calls about the Brookside police.

“We get calls about Brookside quite regularly because they really go outside their jurisdiction to stop people,” Pettway told AL.com. “Most of the time people get stopped, they’re going to get a ticket. And they’re saying they were nowhere near Brookside.”

Alabama state senator candidate Lisa Ward said Jones responded to her on Facebook after she shared a link of AL.com’s original report on social media.

“I strongly suggest you take the time to research the truth of the story before posting comments,” Jones allegedly messaged Ward. “Especially if you expect to run for public office on the state of Alabama.”

Leah Nelson, research director at Alabama Appleseed Center, said Jones’ resignation is good but does not solve the greater problem.

Jones “is just a symptom of the problem,” Nelson told AL.com. “As long as criminal justice policy and tax policy is intertwined, we’ll see versions of Brookside pop up. We need policy reform.”


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