Review: Police in Brookside preyed on the poor

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – An Alabama town accused of padding its municipal budget with traffic ticket revenues is being accused of having police prey on poor people.

A former judge who reviewed police practices in the Jefferson County city of Brookside says police in the community of 1,253 people bullied the needy and those who appeared weak.

The town hired former Judge Kenneth Simon to perform the review following reports about its policing practices by AL.com. Multiple people are suing the city, and a county judge dismissed dozens of citations saying the credibility of Brookside’s police force is “garbage.”

Multiple police officers are no longer with the city, and it has hired a new chief.

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3/19/2022 10:24:44 AM (GMT -5:00)