Avoid Brookside Alabama!
- Thread starter Mark
- Start date
al.com, our statewide journalist web site, is doing a whole series called "Banking on crime," about policing for profit: https://www.al.com/topic/BankingOnCrime/. Really eye-opening stuff. Unfortunately it seems Alabama hasn't progressed much beyond the Bull Connor days of the 1960s.
I did read that our lieutenant governor is going to launch a state investigation of Brookside, so I expect the police tactics there to be shut down in the not too distant future. Even then we'd still have a LONG way to go to bring our criminal justice system up to constitutional standards.
I did read that our lieutenant governor is going to launch a state investigation of Brookside, so I expect the police tactics there to be shut down in the not too distant future. Even then we'd still have a LONG way to go to bring our criminal justice system up to constitutional standards.
The US Dept of Justice has been involved in multiple lawsuits against the Alabama Dept of Corrections over the decades. The current suit has been ongoing for 3+ years: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/doj-alabama-prisons-unimproved-remain-violent-deadly-81379864
Uncle Phil
Site Supporter
I encountered one in West Tennessee many years ago.
They dropped the speed limit down hill in the middle of a passing lane.
The radar would set just out of sight at the bottom.
Then they would send junky cars along the road so that you would pass.
Once you were 'caught', they confiscated your drivers license and you had to follow the brand new squad car (they had several) to the single wide trailer 'courthouse'.
You could pay the fine, get your license back and 'nothing would be sent to the state capitol' - translated no points.
Or you could come back and fight it in court.
A driver was standing there who lived across the state and was talking about fighting it.
I looked at him and said 'You can come back and fight it, but I guarantee you the court costs which you still will have to pay to be the same or more than the ticket'.
The officer standing beside us just grinned.
Some days you have to know when to fold them and move on.
They dropped the speed limit down hill in the middle of a passing lane.
The radar would set just out of sight at the bottom.
Then they would send junky cars along the road so that you would pass.
Once you were 'caught', they confiscated your drivers license and you had to follow the brand new squad car (they had several) to the single wide trailer 'courthouse'.
You could pay the fine, get your license back and 'nothing would be sent to the state capitol' - translated no points.
Or you could come back and fight it in court.
A driver was standing there who lived across the state and was talking about fighting it.
I looked at him and said 'You can come back and fight it, but I guarantee you the court costs which you still will have to pay to be the same or more than the ticket'.
The officer standing beside us just grinned.
Some days you have to know when to fold them and move on.
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Shuey
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bdalameda
PaleoCyclist
Some years ago I got a ticket in Fredonia, Arizona. I was leaving the Grand Canyon and the town(?) and speed limit changed to 25 just over a rise in the road where it was not visible until it was too late. There was an officer parked there right where the speed limit dropped. I got the ticket along with a credit card pay slip on the spot. I stopped at a store a little ways up the road and watched the ticket machine in operation. What a scam.
BakerBoy
It's all small stuff.
Thanks for posting.
Such is so disgusting (makes blood boil) if one thinks about it much.
I'll add another...
Locally, I've heard first-hand experiences of Morrison CO Police doing similar, and seen firsthand their zealous fining of the public. Every day for years, seeing the same thing. Even some of Team Colorado has 'experienced' Morrisons Finest working their speed traps on the 4 ways in or out of the small town. The City's revenue is over 50% is through tickets.
There is a long downhill state highway that is 45 mph coming into town (straight, open, passing lane on it)--but they've added a 25 mph sign in the downhill passing zone--the sign is not in City limits, but they entrap many many drivers. They've funded a fleet of expensive, new patrol cars and a large force that works 100% of their time to write tickets. For example, they hide alongside C470 and ping passing cars, writing tickets (C470 passes over City property). When motorists see their patrol cars, human reaction is to hit the brakes, which ripples into panic braking behind. Very Dangerous.
My hope since seeing them start this behavior many years ago has been that they eventually entrap a State or Fed judge or influential DA who gets pissed at their extortion, and helps cause interest by the right parties that lead to legal action that shuts down their entrapment.
Example stories about Morrison:
Citation Nation: Morrison's lucrative ticket trap
A notorious speed enforcement zone in Morrison helps rake in 52 percent of the town's revenue, a joint investigation by 9Wants to Know and I-News at Rocky Mountain PBS has found.
www.9news.com
Morrison PD chief resigns after town comes more than $800,000 short of estimated ticket revenue
Money from fines and forfeitures was estimated to make up nearly 50% of revenue for the Town of Morrison in 2021
www.9news.com
Town of Morrison forced to dismiss speeding tickets
The Town of Morrison, long known as a speed trap, has been forced to dismiss traffic tickets after the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) learned Morrison lowered speed limits without a s…
kdvr.com
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They're quick to pull you over in Henry county Georgia too. Most people I know of were speeding, but they'll add another charge if your tint is too dark.
ToddC
Site Supporter
Ha! We have a town just east of Spokane on Hwy 2 that was notorious for having a patrol car at one end of town or the other, to nab anyone over the 25 limit. It was so well know, or went on so long, that the local watering hole is named, "The Speed trap Saloon". Still is, but the new Police Chief has lessened that practice.
Many small towns benefit from those practices, so I always slow it down when approaching them.
T
Many small towns benefit from those practices, so I always slow it down when approaching them.
T
JRman
"Quando omni flunkus moritati" - Possum Lodge
I'm feeling awful naive up here in British Columbia as I always thought enforcement was driving ticket revenues and not the opposite regardless of jurisdiction. Clearly I'm wrong and have to pay more attention town by town / county by county when I travel South of the 49th parallel. Fortunately, up here on the Wetcoast of Canada (aka Leftcoast), traffic fines and revenues are managed by the Province so although one town may have more enforcement based on their own priorities, it should not be driven by the revenues themselves - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/grants-transfers/traffic-fine-revenue-sharing-transfers - so come on up North...you may still get a ticket, but hopefully it's just because you're doing something against the law, and not to line the RCMP's budget!
RiderRon
Site Supporter
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.
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.
Are you saying that police are being used to raise revenue under the color of state power disguised as safety patrol? Unbelievable. Doesn't happen. Crazy talk.
In California speed traps are prohibited by the vehicle code. They can't set the speed limit artificially low on a section of road, an engineering survey must be performed to determine the appropriate speed limit for the section of roadway.
RiderRon
Site Supporter
Okie - when the state patrol is out Brookside is not out patrolling. But when the state police are not out then Brookside will be out patrolling their 1.5 mile stretch of highway.
The state troopers keep Brookside away.
Brookside is raising revenue for Brookside. They had been targeting those that could not afford to hire attorneys but it looks like the new hires were targeting anybody and they ticketed a few people that knew the laws and fought them. They have several pending lawsuits.
The state troopers keep Brookside away.
Brookside is raising revenue for Brookside. They had been targeting those that could not afford to hire attorneys but it looks like the new hires were targeting anybody and they ticketed a few people that knew the laws and fought them. They have several pending lawsuits.
RiderRon
Site Supporter
These aren’t speed traps, they are obscuring the laws and creating artificial charges.
They attempt to find other charges by means of fear and intimidation during a minor traffic violation stop.
Profiting off of people’s ignorance of the law.
The county DA and county sheriff both have publicly stated that what they are doing is unethical and bordering illegal activity..
The sheriff has met with the police chief and mayor regarding their tactics.
It's not just the traffic violation fines, there is also the civil asset forfeiture abuse. If you have $5,500 cash on you (because you are on the way to buy a ST1300) they can get a dog to "alert" on it and take it as "illegal" money and you have to sue them to try to get it back even if you have the bank receipt.
ReSTored
Site Supporter
Ticket traps and aggressive civil forfeiture are forms of government abuse of process and outright fraud, usually at the local level. For towns or districts were ticket revenue is a disproportionate % of the budget or where civil forfeiture is used to fund regular operations then clearly something is wrong. IMHO state or the federal government should step in to prosecute police and / or local government officials to end the abuse, which is a form of racketeering involving police. local government and probably local judges as well.
yeah, I understood that.
The thread went off on a minor tangent regarding speed traps in other places, so I was responding to that aspect of the thread.
drrod
Site Supporter
This scam has been going on for ages.
en.wikipedia.org
New Rome, Ohio - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org