This is a 5 minute drive from me and I had no clue that they were doing some of the things they were doing.
I was stopped one riding through Brookside years ago at a “wellness check” roadblock while I was riding my Ninja 250. They have some really nice curves in that area if you stay on the outskirts.
I purchased that bike for my daughter as a project and one of the officers was cool and talked about the bike and how he saw I painted it, how good it looked and he sees me riding all the time. He even remembered the original color of the bike.
One of the other officers was not so cool.. he was highly combative, yelling about me speeding (which I was not), at one point another officer pulled him away because I was laughing at this whole show he was putting on. I said well my registration and insurance is under the seat and I would need to dismount in order to produce it. We are surrounded by very tall hills on a curvy 2 lane highway and this genius says you better not try to run.. sir if I wanted to run I would have changed directions and avoided your roadblock altogether.
Needless to say the good officer said all that isn’t necessary, that I was good, rode safe, keep up the good work and that they were looking for people coming in buying drugs.
Changed my short route up after that experience. That was 5-6 years ago before they ramped up the force.
They shut their police website down, they would post warrants, arrests no matter how minor and their motto was “we will make you famous” and touting their 1.5 million FB views.. I didn’t know they had gotten that out of control! They patrol 1.5 miles of I-22 starting at the I-65 split to exit 91 which is the Brookside exit. They normally patrol on the westbound side of I-22.
The AL State Troopers have patrolled that area heavily before and since I-22 opened.
Perfect 1/4 strip, only a few miles from a popular local drag strip so there was a lot of racing going on before and after Corridor X opened up.
I hope they get shut down as a town and real soon.
Wilmer, AL was that way for years along Hwy 98, just before Mobile, AL. They would use the tactics that Uncle Phil speaks of, confiscating licenses, cars and personal possessions in order to force payment. Residence hated the reputation, it’s been so long ago but I believe the feds came in and the residence voted to dissolve the town.