Fatal RV flaws
An investigation into RV safety by Chris Halsne, of KIRO (Seattle, Wash.), found that the government only requires "front-end crash and brake tests for the empty chassis." Data analysis revealed that many fatalities in RV accidents are the result of poorly secured interior elements, braking problems, and the weak structural integrity of the fiberglass and wood frames. In response to the investigation, the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association said, "NHTSA (The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) hasn't crash tested finished motor homes because they are fundamentally safe — there simply haven't been enough deaths to warrant the cost of purchasing and testing these types of vehicles."
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Investigation uncovers flammable wiring on airplanes
A nine-month investigation by Phil Williams of NewsChannel 5 (Nashville, Tenn.) shows that the wiring used on many planes "should not be used for airborne application." Both Kapton and PVC/Nylon wiring have been proven highly flammable, yet both are currently found on airliners. Test videos revealing issues with these types of wire came from the Federal Aviation Administration's own files. A scientific report from the FAA's own experts deemed it unfit for use on aircraft. All of the recently grounded MD-80 planes contain Kapton wiring. A complete listing of which aircraft have Kapton and PVC/Nylon wiring can be found on the station's website.
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"Business of the Bomb: The Modern Nuclear Marketplace"
Michael Montgomery, of American RadioWorks, and Mark Schapiro, of the Center for Investigative Reporting, teamed up to explore the growing nuclear black market which is making it difficult to contain the proliferation of atomic weapons throughout the world. "Experts cite two ominous trends: an increase in the number of nations seeking to enrich uranium, and the emergence of international nuclear smuggling networks." The hour-long radio documentary can be heard here. (The program will be re-broadcast on KQED in the Bay Area April 30 at 8 p.m. PST. Check your local public radio schedules for broadcast dates in your area.)
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Contaminated drinking water found in some LA public schools
A three-month investigation by Joel Grover of KNBC-Los Angeles found lead levels in drinking water that exceeded EPA safety limits at several area public schools. Contaminated fountains were found at nine of the 30 schools tested. An internal report obtained by the network showed that the district had known about the problem for 18 years. In some cases, it was found that employees falsified records to indicate that drinking water was safe.
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Thousands of foreigners illegally attending US flight schools
ABC News' Brian Ross, working with producers Vic Walter and Eric Longabardi, reports that, despite laws passed after 9/11, thousands of foreign students have been able to enroll in and obtain pilot's licenses from US flight schools. "Under the new laws, American flight schools are only supposed to provide pilot training to foreign students who have been given a background check by the TSA and have a specific type of visa." Former FAA inspector Brian McNease said that, in 2005 alone, he found over 8,000 students in the FAA database who obtained their pilot's license without ever receiving approval. As a result of this investigation, Congress has opened a probe into the failure of the TSA to enforce these laws.
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Boys academy continues to operate despite abuse reports
Investigative Reporter Paul Aker of WBNS-Columbus, found that the Central Ohio Boys Residential Academy, a camp for troubled youth, has a history of abuse but continues to operate. According to the report, "A former staff worker also claims to have seen children seriously hurt by COBRA workers, and often slammed into walls." The investigation revealed that allegations of abuse have resulted in several criminal cases against staff, and the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services that licenses the academy was not aware of the criminal convictions.
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Tired pilots raise safety concerns
Anne Yeager and KNXV-Phoenix investigators found pilots who admitted to falling asleep while flying and who pointed to their schedules as the cause. On the day the report aired, the Federal Aviation Administration announced an investigation into two pilots who could have been asleep at the controls in Hawaii. According to the report, "FAA rules allow a pilot to work a 16 hour day as long as that person has eight hours of rest before flying again." Air Line Pilots Association President John Prater says the eight hours of rest doesn't mean eight hours of sleeping.
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Former football star linked to double murder
Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne and other KIRO-Seattle investigators delved into the 18-year-old murder of two Seattle attorneys. They found that King County detectives were questioning Robert "Spider" Gaines, a former University of Washington football star, about his connection to the murders. "Gaines denies there is any evidence that links him to this crime," Halsne said. "We tracked down an old roommate of his who is telling a different story." The team interviewed Coffee Williams, who placed Gaines at the scene of the crime, and shot undercover footage of two detectives speaking with the former athlete in a parking lot.
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Former Florida prison boss ran a corrupt operation
An investigation by Abbie Boudreau and Scott Zamost of CNN revealed that the former head of one of America's largest prison systems ran a Mafia-like operation riddled with corruption. In an exclusive interview before he stepped down, James McDonough, secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections, called his predecessor a "psychopath" who oversaw a system of corruption that included drunken brawls, kickbacks from a prison vendor, taxpayer funds used to pay for alcohol and prostitutes, and guards punishing coworkers when they threatened to report inappropriate activities.
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"A Dangerous Business Revisted"
FRONTLINE revisits a January 2003 investigation of McWane, Inc., a pipe foundry company which proved to be "the most dangerous company in an inherently dangerous business." In A Dangerous Business Revisited, Lowell Bergman looks at what happened since the original investigation aired, including the Department of Justice's response which led to federal prosecutions at five McWane facilities. "The McWane investigations created a new template for protecting workers. By trying companies under environmental laws, which carry stiffer fines and prison terms, prosecutors were able to sidestep the lesser penalties set forth for OSHA violations." In the five years since the original broadcast, McWane, Inc. has made "a dramatic turnaround." The entire program can be viewed online.
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State falls behind in routine fire safety inspection of schools
Despite laws requiring regular fire safety inspection of the state's schools, an investigation by KNXV-TV (Phoenix) revealed that the Office of the Arizona State Fire Marshal have failed to complete the routine inspections. "A review of records for 200 schools in Maricopa County revealed more than 70 schools that have not been inspected for two or more years. We also found more than 30 schools with inspection reports indicating the facilities were not recommended for licensing at the time."
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Legacy of Ashes
An investigation by Leisa Zigman of KSDK (St. Louis, Mo.) found that the remains of thousands of cremated war veterans have been found across the country. Many have been stored in mortuaries and hospitals for decades. The Missing in America Project (MIAP) seeks to find the forgotten cremains, and give a proper burial to the veterans. A bill has been introduced in the state of Missouri to make it easier to release the cremains to service organizations seeking to honor the deceased veterans.
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Racist jokes, porn found on DA's office computer
Community leaders are calling for Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal to resign after Jeremy Rogalski of KHOU-Houston uncovered racist emails and sex videos on the D.A.'s county computer, along with evidence suggesting that Rosenthal used county time and resources in his political campaigns.
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Lives saved but valuables lost at Denver Health
An investigation by Deborah Sherman of KUSA-Denver looked into the problem of personal property lost at Denver Health. In addition to personal affects such as purses, identification and clothing, the lost items also included a prosthetic eye and dentures. In 2006, 368 pieces of property were reported missing from the Denver Health ER. A hospital representative said all patients were compensated for their property, but patients interviewed for the story disputed that claim. Sherman found fewer loss reports at comparable hospitals.
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Emergency response times lagging in Ohio's Delaware County
An investigation by Paul Aker of WBNS in Columbus, Ohio, shows that Delaware County's emergency response times fall short of the industry standard. The National Fire Protection Association's voluntary guidelines call for processing 99 percent of calls within 90 seconds. In Delaware County, the 911 center's interim director told Aker he wants to see dispatches under two minutes. WBNS looked at a sample of calls for suspected heart attacks and found that 59 percent took more than one minute to process and 30 percent took at least 90 seconds. The story also revealed that the center does not track how long the phone rings before a dispatcher picks up.
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Some Houston banks more prone to ATM robberies
This investigation by KHOU-Houston used crime data to map the locations of ATM robberies. The analysis showed that some bank branches seem to be hot spots for robberies. Reporter Jeremy Rogalski spoke with police about why some areas are more vulnerable than others and how consumers can protect themselves from being robbed at an ATM.

The National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, a joint program of IRE and the Missouri School of Journalism assisted in the data analysis for this story.
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Dallas property values derived from small sampling of sales
Paul Adrian of KDFW-Dallas/Ft. Worth investigated disparities in property taxes set by the Dallas Central Appraisal District. Fox 4 learned that values for neighborhoods are set by home sale data reflecting an average of 3 percent of the properties, while assessors said that 10 percent or more would be ideal. A database of appraisals includes information on the property that was used to set the valuation.

The National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, a joint program of IRE and the Missouri School of Journalism, helped with the data analysis and mapping for this story.
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Home Sweet Meth Home
In a three-part investigative series, Keli Rabon of WLOX in Biloxi, Miss., revealed that Families may not know that their home used to serve as meth labs. State laws do not require disclosure of a property's history, and standards do not exist to adequately clean up the property after the labs are dismantled. Residue from hazardous chemicals remain throughout the homes.
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Police cruisers involved in hundreds of accidents in Massachusetts
An investigation by Maggie Mulvihill and Joe Bergantino of WBZ-Boston shows that Massachusetts state troopers are causing numerous accidents on those same roads they're monitoring. Internal police data revealed that troopers have caused "nearly 500 crashes in their own cruisers in the past seven years." Many troopers investigate their own accidents excusing themselves of fault 55 percent of the time. The accidents have cost taxpayers $2 million in settlements and repairs.
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Mysterious death of disabled resident leads to homicide investigation
An investigation by Chris Halsne of KIRO-Seattle has led to a homicide investigation into the death of a resident of Rainier School, a state facility for the disabled. KIRO obtained records showing that resident Peter Bohnke suffered a broken neck in August, but his death three weeks later was classified as natural and attributed to respiratory problems related to pneumonia. The death investigation was reopened after a whistleblower raised allegations of abuses by staff. Earlier KIRO stories about abuses at Rainer School have led to the arrest of three employees.
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State data reveal high veteran suicide rates
A five-month investigation by Armen Keteyian of CBS News uncovered a startling suicide rate for veterans. Neither the Department of Defense nor the Department of Veterans Affairs keep accurate numbers on veteran suicide rates. CBS News requested suicide data from all 50 states dating back to 1995, and 45 states provided the information. In 2005, "there were at least 6,256 suicides among those who served in the armed forces. That's 120 each and every week, in just one year." Among veterans 20 to 24 years of age, the suicide rate was two to four times greater than non-veterans of the same age.
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Sex offenders not deterred by residency laws
Lisa Fletcher of KNXV-Phoenix mapped "level 3" sex offenders — considered the most dangerous and most likely to re-offend. Data analysis located 123 offenders living within 1000 ft. of schools and daycares in Maricopa County in violation of residency laws. One expert, Dr. Tom Selby, a psychologist who specializes in work with sex offenders, suggest these laws only provide a false sense of security. "In terms of it having any significant impact on reduction of sex offenses, research in general says that residency laws have no impact on recidivism rates," he said.

The National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, a joint program of IRE and the Missouri School of Journalism, assisted with the data analysis.
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Investigation examines how dentists maximize Medicaid payments
A five-month investigation by Roberta Baskin of WJLV in Washington, D.C.,"reveals that children on Medicaid who visit two Washington area clinics are suffering pain for profit." Former staffers and patients of the Small Smiles clinics, which are among the few dental practices serving children on Medicaid, allege that dentists routinely put children in restraints during exams, separated them from parents, and gave staff bonuses for upgrading procedures, such as crowns or baby root canals instead of fillings, to get more money from Medicaid. A Colorado-based company called FORBA manages 63 Small Smiles clinics nationwide.
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Double Identity
In a three-month investigation, WVTJ-Miami investigative producer Scott Zamost and reporter Jeff Burnside uncovered the South Florida man who had used a woman's Social Security number for 16 years. They traced him to a local Chevrolet dealership, where he worked as the director of finance. Authorities said the woman was a victim of a growing new form of crime called "synthetic identity theft" &emdash; someone steals an identity but doesn't ruin the victim's credit rating so abuses are harder to flag. In the wake of the NBC 6 investigation, the U.S. Secret Service launched its own probe.
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Tennessee gun permits mapped
WBIR-Knoxville reporter John Becker and producer Jake Jost looked at gun permit holders around the state, from pockets outside of Memphis where up to 11 percent of residents have a permit, to a rural area where six percent of residents own guns. Data analysis and mapping suggested a broad profile of gun owners: "They tend to live in rural areas. If they are anything like the typical person in their area, the numbers suggest they are upper middle-class, white, and own their own homes. They have a family, and the household makes between $50,000 and $150,000 each year."
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Foreclosures: Living in the zone
KSHB's Keith King reported on foreclosure rates in and around Kansas City. Analyzing data from RealtyTrac.com, King mapped all the foreclosures between June 2006 and July 2007 to see what neighborhoods were impacted the most. Foreclosures affected more residents on the Missouri side of the metro area, where there is no court oversight of foreclosures, compared to neighborhoods in Kansas. A searchable database lists foreclosures in the greater Kansas City area through September 2007.The National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, a joint program of IRE and the Missouri School of Journalism, assisted with the data analysis for this story.
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"Free offers" lead to credit card charges
Anna Werner of KPIX-San Francisco investigated complaints about Webloyalty Incorporated. People shopping online were unwittingly enrolled in WLI Reservation Rewards and its $9 monthly credit card charge. The KPIX investigation found "reports of thousands of online shoppers complaining about the same small monthly charges from 'WLI Reservation Rewards' on their credit cards, after they made purchases from well-known websites, including Priceline.com, Hotels.com, Justflowers.com, Petco.com, Classmates.com and others." Customers who said yes to "free offers" after visiting those sites were actually giving their consent to let the current site transfer the shopper's credit card information to Weblolyalty.
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Shelter animals destroyed by "heart shot"
WSMV-Nashville's I-Team exposed a veterinarian who used inhumane methods to euthanize shelter dogs and cats. Video showed "dogs were brought in by trustees from the local jail, pulled up and lethally injected right into the heart with no sedation and were dead within minutes," Jeremy Finley reports. Death by direct cardiac injection, or "heart shot," is considered a last resort, but it was widely used by a county-contracted vet who earned $9 per animal. The investigation has prompted action by the county and the state.
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No-Fly Fiasco
Deborah Sherman of KUSA-Denver looked into U.S. government's No-Fly List and found thousands of innocent travelers who have trouble getting on airplanes nationwide because they're misidentified as terrorists. While people snagged by false matches are forced to arrive hours early at airports to be cleared, a new government report found terrorists on the list are still getting on airplanes. Sherman found that a new program to fix those problems, called Secure Flight, has cost taxpayers $200 million so far and may leave participating passengers vulnerable to identity theft.
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Sex offenders clustered near school bus stops
An investigation by WTEV-Jacksonville, Fla. found "more than 500 sex offenders and predators living within two blocks of local bus stops," according to Celine McArthur. Certain sex offenders are barred from living within 1,000 feet of bus stops, but there are so many bus stops that enforcing the rule would place most of the city off-limits. The National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, a joint program of IRE and the Missouri School of Journalism, assisted with the data analysis and mapping.
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Houston TV report prompts more toy recalls
KHOU-Houston's Chris Henao and Mark Greenblatt discovered more toys made with lead paint or vinyl, spurring companies such as Toys R' Us, Walmart, Target, Marvel, and others to enact national recalls or pull products from shelves. One recall included 16,000 pieces in the Toys R' Us Elite Operations line. Over a period of weeks, Henao and an expert tested more than 100 toys and came up with 9 products containing high levels of lead.
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Drug-testing loopholes a national problem
An investigation by Jeff Ballion of KMSP-Minneapolis earlier this year exposed drug-testing loopholes that allow abusers to stay behind the wheel of commercial trucks. Their report prompted an investigation by the Government Accountability Office. The results of the GAO report were the focus of a congressional hearing this week. The study found that these loopholes in drug testing are a nationwide problem.
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Investigation finds animal corpses in Colorado Humane Society trash
Over six weeks, CALL7 Investigators discovered more than a dozen dead animals in a dumpster outside the Colorado Humane Society," report Tom Burke and Tony Kovaleski of the CALL7 investigative team in Denver. Such disposal saves the Colorado Humane Society — a private organization not affiliated with the National Humane Society or any other animal shelter — about $12 per animal. Whistleblowers implicate the executive director in allowing this practice, a charge that the director denies. The reporting also raised questions of financial mismanagement and the society's continued drive to solicit donations despite a suspended license.
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Assisted living residents pay more for over-the-counter medication
An investigation by Jesse Jones of KING-Seattle finds that some residents of assisted-living facilities pay up to five times more for over-the-counter drugs purchased from pharmacies, compared to regular retail prices. Health care providers say the costs are justified because state law requires that a nurse or pharmacist package individual doses for patients who need assistance using the products safely.
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No Slowing Down
Some models of 2007 Toyota Tacoma trucks have an apparent problem with acceleration, according to a report by Jeremy Finley of WSMV-Nashville. Drivers have said that when they depress the brake pedal, the car instead speeds up, and "Channel 4 found a growing number of drivers who have had problems with the vehicle, which has prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to start conducting tests on the model."
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Organized theft rampant at nation's airports
After a year spent battling Homeland Security and the Transportation Safety Administration for the data, Chris Halsne of KIRO-Seattle uncovered rampant theft at airports throughout the nation. Airport employees are stealing valuables — including jewelry, credit cards, handguns, video games — from luggage. Included in the online report is a database which allows readers to check the stolen property claims at airports across the country.
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Abuse of disabled students caught on tape
Undercover video shot by KIRO-Seattle led to arrests and internal disciplinary actions at the state-operated Rainier School for the disabled. School employees were recorded shoving, poking and ear-slapping students in a park near the school. Reporter Chris Halsne notes: "Team 7 Investigators are still working undercover, looking into conditions at the facility run by the Department of Social and Health Services. However, in light of the arrests, some of the clips shared with the Washington State Patrol are being released."
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Coretta Scott King's FBI files opened
KHOU.com offers the first look at the FBI's files on Coretta Scott King. Mark Greenblatt will report on the nearly 500 pages he received and the King family's reaction to the contents. "KHOU has found that even after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, the FBI's Scott King file shows the Bureau actually intensified their spying and surveillance of the new widow." Greenblatt and executive producer David Raziq pursued the records for more than a year, beginning shortly after Scott King's death in January 2006.
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Baltimore aims to avoid bridge disaster, repairs started
Following the collapse of a bridge in Minneapolis, Tisha Thompson of WMAR-TV (Baltimore, Md.) evaluated federal inspection reports and found that over 300 bridges in Maryland are "structurally deficient" some with holes in the deck and, in one case, two-by-fours holding up a section of a major bridge. In Baltimore County, the replacement process has started on about 10 bridges. This map shows the bridges eligible for replacement in the greater Baltimore area.
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A look at Arizona's "structurally deficient" bridges
Lisa Fletcher and Dan Siegel of ABC-15's I-Team look at the safety ratings of bridges in Arizona. In the state, 107 bridges are rated as "structurally deficient and in need of major repairs." Along with ASU civil engineering professor, Ed Kavazanjian, they looked at several of the bridges, analyzing what could hasten structural demise of some of the compromised bridges. Information on the bridges, listed by county, can be found here.
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Marine vehicle contract questioned
An investigation by WXYZ-TV in Detroit reveals that the Marines awarded a vehicle contract for the Growler, a vehicle which consistently failed to meet the Marines' own standards according to internal evaluations, despite the fact that a superior vehicle designed by Detroit engineers was available. The Growler was originally designed without doors or a roof and has been described by some within the military as a “dune buggy with a machine gun.” The company that produces the Growler is owned by a retired Marine colonel who is alleged to have received the nearly $1 billion contract because of a longtime friendship with a powerful Marine Corps major general. As a result of the investigation, Sen. Carl Levin and two members of the House of Representatives called for an investigation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
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Foreclosure hot spots in Phoenix area
The I-Team of KNXV-Phoenix investigated the growing trend of foreclosures in Phoenix area and found "hot zones" where foreclosure rates are highest. Joe Ducey and investigative producer Dan Siegel showed that in one area of West Phoenix, 1,050 homes have gone into foreclosure since January 2006. Affordable housing purchased with adjustable rate mortgages are at the center of the foreclosure trend. When property values surged, homeowners refinanced "cashing out equity, often more than their homes were really worth."

IRE and NICAR performed the data analysis for this story.
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EXPOSÉ on the Web
Stay up to date on the latest season of EXPOSÉ, produced by WNET in New York and airing on PBS. The July 6 episode "Becoming the Story" looks at the San Francisco Chronicle's Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada and how they became enmeshed in the story of BALCO and Barry Bonds. You can find the broadcast schedule for your local PBS affiliate here. Keep up with the season on the accompanying series blog. Episodes can also be streamed online.

The Center for Investigative Reporting also offers several companion pieces on its blog The Muckracker: Reporters Notebook.
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Juvenile sex offenders pose problems to schools
A report by Anna Song of KATU-Portland, Ore. reveals that juvenile sex offenders often go right back to school after being charged.. Due to their status as minors, school administrators cannot disseminate this information beyond the staff. The story exposes the inconsistency of local school policies when it comes to such offenders: Some schools tell all staff members, some tell just a few. Ultimately, it's up to the principal and can vary by school, not just by district.
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Broken hydrants pepper Chicago suburbs
Over the last three months the CBS2 Investigators exposed numerous broken fire hydrants throughout Chicago’s unincorporated/suburban communities. Starting from a tip about one individual hydrant, WBBM-TV reporter Dave Savini requested the private water utility’s hydrant repair records for the last three years and found hydrants listed in need of repair were documented internally but left broken for years, Savini and producer Michele Youngerman then identified potential problem areas and convinced fire department officials to do some random checks of hydrants. CBS 2’s investigation led to the proposal of a state law requiring private utilities immediately repair broken fire hydrants and that fire departments would be notified where the out of order hydrants are located.
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Common names can increase odds of identity theft
Lauren Stillwell Bernaldo, Executive Producer of Special Projects, and her team at WBBH TV - NBC Channel 2 in Fort Myers, Fla., examine how the commonality of your first and last name can make you prone to identity theft. The station also provides an online database that allows you to see how common your own name is.
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South Florida security questionable
A three-month WTVJ-Miami investigation raised questions about how well Wackenhut, one of the country's biggest security firms, is protecting the South Florida public and whether they're billing taxpayers millions of dollars for guards not even on the job. Investigative producer Scott Zamost and reporter Jeff Burnside tracked down former employees and supervisors, reviewed hundreds of documents and shot video on the Metrorail, which is protected by Wackenhut security, to show what the former guards say is a pattern of unmanned posts and overbilling taxpayers.
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Fire chief retires while under investigation
The fire chief of Aurora, Colo. is retiring following a KCNC-Denver reported that "he had apparently played golf during normal work hours on as many as 23 weekdays during an 8 month period." The city had suspended the chief pending its own investigation into the allegations, but the chief has said that he is retiring of his own volition. CBS4 also found allegations, posted on a former assistant city attorney's blog, accusing the chief of carrying on an affair with the attorney's wife. Brian Maass details the CBS4 investigation here.
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US soldiers may be using inferior body armor
U.S. troops are not being provided with the best body armor according to an NBC News investigation. Lisa Myers reported that independent ballistics tests commissioned by NBC show that a product called Dragon Skin is safer than the Army-issued Interceptor armor in stopping the most lethal shots. The Army banned Dragon Skin last year before it was formally tested. Some suggest this is because it was not developed by the Army and that its ban was to protect funding for the Interceptor program. Based on its own testing, the CIA has chosen to provided their elite operatives in Iraq with Dragon Skin due to its superior protection.
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Mortgage Meltdown
A broadcast and web package from Tisha Thompson of WMAR-Baltimore uncovers the dirt on home mortgage lending in Maryland. The issue of race and credit is explored as a foreclosure boom is forecast due to an increase the number of subprime loans issued. Included are maps of foreclosure "hotspots" and a glossary of lending terms.

IRE and NICAR assisted with the mapping for this story.
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Will parking violators pay in Peoria?
Nishi Gupta of WHOI-Peoria, Ill., found the city was owed nearly $1.2M in parking fines. She reviewed thousands of cases and found many people owed hundreds, even thousands of dollars. The city would take them to court to collect, but it wasn't successful, despite numerous hearings and bench warrants. At times, the courts would close the cases with no consequences for those who decided not to pay up. After the story aired, Peoria's city hall adopted a policy to collect the fines from parking ticket deadbeats.
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Former meth labs declared "safe" still unfit for residence
A report by Debbie Dujanovic of KSL 5 (Salt Lake City) details how seized homes in Salt Lake County that had once functioned as meth labs are being reopened and declared safe without proper clean up. Unsuspecting buyers are moving into contaminated homes because lax disclosure laws negate the need to report homes ever served as meth labs. Upon learning that their house had been a meth lab, one family discovered a child's bedroom had "levels 14 times above what the state considers 'safe.'" listing properities that were considered contaminated at one time.
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Seattle issued illegal parking tickets on holidays
Chris Halsne of KIRO-Seattle reports that the city of Seattle has been issuing parking tickets on legal holidays when parking is posted as free. The KIRO 7 investigates team reviewed approximately three years' worth of fines to find 4,416 tickets issued on legal holidays. A local attorney has filed a class action suit against the city on behalf of those who paid their fines requesting that the city return their money. Since this issue has been brought to light, the city has changed the parking ordinance and clearly listed its free parking days.
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Assault Zones
Lisa Fletcher of ABC15-Phoenix reports on crime zones in four Arizona cities. By examining "tens of thousands of aggravated assaults between 2003 and 2006" they mapped the cities of Chandler, Glendale, Phoenix and Scottsdale to find the hot-spots for these crimes. The maps of these areas can be found online.

IRE and NICAR assisted with the data analysis for this story.
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Internet adult entertainment business busted in residential neighborhood
An investigation by WTVJ-Miami reporter Jeff Burnside and investigative producer Scott Zamost led Miami city officials to move in against an Internet sex operation in a residential neighborhood. In "The House Next Door," NBC 6 revealed live sex shows were being broadcast online from a home in a family-oriented neighborhood. Until last year, the company had operated the same business in Chicago, where the health department found a "significant" number of sexually transmitted disease cases. Miami city officials said it was illegal to operate an adult entertainment business in a residential neighborhood.
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Army recruits told to hide mental health issues
Phil Williams of WTVF-Nashville investigated questionable Army recruiting practices. In response to a investigation into the suicide of soldier while in basic training, NewChannel 5 took hidden cameras inside Army recruiting stations in Middle Tennessee to see how recruiters handled someone who revealed mental health issues. According to the deceased private's family, he was discouraged from disclosing information about his mental health history or the medications he was prescribed on account that they would disqualify him from serving. In three separate recruiting offices, NewsChannel 5's hidden-camera investigation found confirmation of this practice as Army recruiters discouraged disclosure of mental health histories for the sake of qualifying to serve.
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Undercover agents sneak bomb past TSA screeners
Deborah Sherman of KUSA-Denver reports that "Checkpoint security screeners at Denver International Airport last month failed to find liquid explosives packed in carry-on luggage and also improvised explosive devices, or IED's, worn by undercover agents, sources told 9NEWS." The agents testing the TSA security were part of the "Red Team," a group of covert agents organized in 1988 by the Federal Aviation Administration. Since 2003, they have investigated security measures at 735 airports.
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Loopholes allow abusers to slip through system
Based on a tip from viewers, Jeff Ballion of KMSP-Minneapolis investigated drug testing facilities around the Twin Cities. A Fox 9 producer went undercover for a Department of Transportation drug test and found that four of the five facilities visited did not measure up to the DOT's strict guidelines for drug testing. Compliance failures create loopholes that potentially allow drug users to get DOT jobs behind the wheel and out on the road. As a result of the investigation, U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, called for an investigation to determine if these drug testing problems found in Minnesota are widespread.
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Stolen Property Found In Home Of Denver's City Attorney
Tony Kovaleski of Denver's 7NEWS revealed that stolen property was found in the home of Denver City Attorney Larry Manzanares. Manzaneres claimed he purchased the stolen laptop from a man in a parking lot. The laptop had gone missing from the City & County building in Denver. Manzanares had been placed on "investigatory leave" after the story broke. On Tuesday, he resigned his position on Tuesday following the 7NEWS investigation.
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CBS 2's Dave Savini to testify in Springfield on Friday
Dave Savini, the CBS 2 reporter who has investigated security loopholes at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, is scheduled to testify before the newly created State of Illinois Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Committee. The report resulted in calls from Congressman Mark Kirk and others for security changes at the airport including increased screenings of airport workers.
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Black children left in danger by state agency
Investigative Reporter Jeremy Rogalski of KHOU-Houston discovered the state agency that protects abused children may be more likely to leave black children in dangerous and abusive home situations. The story examines whether a Texas program designed to address the large percentage of African-American children in foster homes has pressured case workers into "leaving African-American children in place at all costs."
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Sexual discrimination in Texas Air Guard
You've heard of the Bronze Star, but have you heard of "The Vagisil Award"? Mark Greenblatt of KHOU-Houston found it had been given to a female airman in the Texas Air National Guard and the humiliation nearly ruined her. He also uncovered claims of rampant sexual discrimination such as decorated women officers (one an Iraq war veteran and the winner of the Bronze Star) who say their male commanding officers tanked their careers. The report has caught the eye of Congressional members who are now promising action.
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More tired truckers on South Carolina roads
Andy Pierrotti of WCBD-Charleston looked at every South Carolina truck accident report that noted a fatigued or sleeping truck driver as a contributing factor. He discovered a 75 percent increase in such crashes from 2001 to 2005. Those fatigued drivers contributed to 158 accidents that killed nine people and left more than 100 injured. "Despite property damage, loss of life, and injuries, only 42 percent of those tired truckers were never ticketed." State transport police say the biggest problem with tired truckers in the state lies in the number of interstate rest stops. There are simply not enough rest stops in South Carolina for truckers to park and sleep.
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Documentary sheds light on paparazzi culture
In an investigative documentary broadcast nationally on the E! Network, host and reporter Rob Nelson investigated the shadowy world of Hollywood's paparazzi/stalkarazzi and the world of "celebrity news" in all its forms. The piece looks into how the ever increasing public appetite for "entertainment as news" is driving a "wild-wild west" atmosphere on the streets of Los Angeles, where getting the "money shot" is all that matters. The program exposes and confronts a top paparazzo in LA about his secret criminal past as a convicted sex offender. It also led to the LAPD reassessing it policies concerning the paparazzi and how it issues press credentials to member of the media. The program continues to be rerun. Executive Producer Suzanne Murch along with TeleMedia News Productions-Los Angeles based Producer and investigative journalist Eric Longabardi and co-producer Melaine Switzer and AP Raheem Dawson, spent nearly three months on the investigative project. Information about the show can be found here.
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Stolen Ford trucks tracked from Florida to Mexico
WTVJ-Miami Investigative Producer Scott Zamost discovered that the popular Ford F-series truck is being stolen at a high rate in South Florida and ending up in Mexico via Texas. The vehicles' older key design makes them more vulnerable to thieves. More than 600 F-series trucks, most in Miami-Dade County, were stolen last year. Reporter Willard Shepard traveled to Juarez, Mexico, where he toured a huge police impound lot filled with stolen vehicles from the United States. Police say the trucks are being used to smuggle drugs and illegal immigrants across the border.
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Investigation leads to child pornography arrests
Two men who ran dozens of child modeling websites were charged with child pornography following an WTVJ/NBC 6 investigation called "Selling Innocence." After a five-month investigation, Investigative producer Scott Zamost and reporter Deborah Sherman revealed in November 2001 how a South Florida company was putting children online in provocative poses with their parents' permission. The investigation exposed the online world of what authorities called "child erotica," which they said was controversial but legal. However, authorities in Alabama later launched their own investigation and determined the images in the websites were illegal "lascivious poses." A federal grand jury in Birmingham indicted the two men and their company on charges of conspiring to use minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions and with knowingly transporting in interstate commerce visual descriptions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
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Investigation sparks nation-wide Volvo recall
An investigation by Denver's KMGH-TV in September of 2005 that exposed a dangerous problem with Volvo vehicles has now prompted a nation-wide recall. Through internal documents, 7News Investigative Reporter Tony Kovaleski, Producer Tom Burke and Photojournalist Jason Foster discovered that Volvo knew many of their electronic throttle modules were failing at an alarming rate, long before the cars ever hit the showroom floor. The report detailed several examples of the cars failing, placing unknowing drivers in dangerous and unexpected situations. The malfunction can cause the car to surge, hesitate and take control of the vehicle away from the driver. In the recall notice, the National Highway Transportation Security Administration references a "throttle control malfunction" and is requiring Volvo to upgrade the software in the nearly 360,000 affected cars and SUV’s.
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"Precious Cargo" revisited
Following the recent school bus fatalities in Alabama, Phil Williams and the investigative team at WTVF-Nashville updated their extensive investigation into bus safety and the issue of seat belts on buses. Their findings remain timely a year after the first stories aired. The online package includes recent updates, extensive background documents and a 30-minute documentary.
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Food safety at Houston schools compromised
In a three part series, reporter Mark Greenblatt and 11 News Investigates of Houston's KHOU-TV uncovered how one of the largest school districts in the nation was putting more than 200,000 children in danger of food poisoning, serious illness, and worse. The problem? The I-team discovered not only were the Houston school district's cafeterias serving food that could put children at severe risk for food poisoning, but KHOU discovered the district intentionally chose to lower its own safety bar. Even worse, administratorscovered up the problem by using a loophole in the food code to actually stop City Health Inspectors from writing up health violations for the dangerous food. Greenblatt and executive producer David Raziq, producer Chris Henao, and photogpraher Keith Tomshe also found more: a district plan to get out of having cafeterias inspected, raw food stored in terrible conditions, and other problems. The I-Teams broadcasts drew community-wide calls for change, including from a Congressman, and caused the District to stop these practices. See part one, two and three online.
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Staged accidents used to defraud insurance
Reporter Patricia Andreu and Investigative Producer Scott A. Zamost of WTVJ/NBC 6 in Miami revealed in "Crash For Cash" how criminals set up phony car accidents to bilk insurance companies. They were able to actually capture on tape a fake accident as it happened during a police sting operation. The operator of a South Florida medical clinic allegedly set up the accident and recruited fake patients to later claim phony injuries. The National Insurance Crime Bureau ranks Miami as number one in the country for staged accidents. The two-part investigation (Part 1 and Part 2) showed how the accident was set up and arrests of those involved.
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Glitches in Nashville's 911 cause delays in response
WSMV-TV's second installment of an investigation into Nashville's 911 system discovered that thousands of emergency callers waited more than 30 seconds for someone to answer the phone, and no one's exactly sure why. On an average of three times a day a caller waits more than two minutes for 911 to pick up the phone, even when operators there aren't busy. The I-Team's Nancy Amons discovered the problem after requesting a database of every call that had waited more than 30 seconds. 911 was unaware of the scope of the problem until the I-Team investigation.
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Deceased citizens still voting in Ohio
Duane Pohlman of WEWS-TV in Cleveland, with assistance from NICAR, compared Cuyahoga County voting records with death records provided by the Social Security Administration. Dozens of dead people have had votes cast in their names. U.S. Representitive Dennis Kucinich called this an " an assault on the integrity on the electoral process."

The Social Security Administration Death Master File can be obtained from the IRE and NICAR Database Library.
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Citizenship for sale
Reporter Jeff Burnside and Investigative Producer Scott Zamost of Miami's WTVJ/NBC 6 spent four months investigating why thousands of immigrants from around the country are flocking to South Florida to buy memberships in an obscure Indian tribe. A man on probation for a pyramid scheme is selling memberships in the Pembina Nation Little Shell Band of North Dakota, telling people they can stay and work in the United States, even if they are here illegally. An immigration official, shocked by the findings, said "you can't buy your way into the United States." NBC 6 went undercover to go inside the multi-million dollar operation being run from a suburban storefront office. In the two-part investigation called "Citizenship For Sale, Burnside traveled to North Dakota where he found the tribe's real chief, who criticized the scheme, which is already drawing the attention of federal and state authorities.
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Criminals make big money on eBay
Debbie Dujanovic and Kelly Just of KSL-TV (Utah) uncovered an organized ring of thieves who cased neighborhoods, stole property and then unloaded it on eBay. eBay provides an easy outlet for the stolen goods, as it does not have a policy of doing background checks on sellers or policing individual transactions.
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Hydrant repair and inspection delinquent in some Washington cities
Chris Halsne of KIRO-TV looked at 50,000 hydrant repair records in Seattle and the surrounding area and found that firefighters encountered malfunctions in 10% of area hydrants when they arrived to use them. In addition to malfunctions, the records indicated that proper inspections were not taking place. The National Fire Protection Association dictates that all hydrants are inspected once a year, yet the KIRO investigation turned up some hydrants that hadn't been inspected in 10 years. A map of hydrants in the region - inlcuding inspection records - can be found here.
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KDFW exposure of sex offenders in USPS leads to reforms
In May 2006, KDFW-Dallas reporter Rebecca Aguilar and producer Joe Ellis discovered that the U.S. Postal Service had registered sex offenders on its payroll and some of these workers were delivering mail door-to-door. After confronting a few of these registered sex offenders on the job they took the issue to local Postal officials and higher ups in Washington D.C. Officials admitted they had no idea they had registered sex offenders working for them. These were employees who became registered sex offenders after they were hired for the government. Immediately the U.S. Postal Service launched a nationwide investigation, and the U.S. Office of the Inspector General started its own independent investigation across the country. As a result of the KDFW investigation, "U.S. Postal officials say they have now started a computerized program to find registered sex offenders working for them around the country."
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Fundraising fraud by Texas state troopers
Amy Davis of KPRC-TV (Houston) exposed a telemarketing fraud being operated on behalf of Texas police. Calls being made by the Texas State Troopers Association (TSTA) were actually being made by a telemarketing firm. Recipients of these calls were told the money raised would go to help injured or killed officers and their families. In reality, the telemarketing firm was keeping 60% of the money raised, and the other 40% was going to political lobbying groups in Austin.
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Post-Katrina fraud
Joel Grover of KNBC-TV(Los Angeles) investigated FEMA fraud after Hurricane Katrina. Following an initial investigation by Channel 4 last October, fifteen residents of the Los Angeles area were charged with theft after they made false claims to FEMA saying that they'd been left homeless in the wake of the storm. They made their claims to FEMA using fake New Orleans addresses. The seven defendents who pled "no contest" to the charges must reimburse the government for the payments they fraudulently received. Arrest warrants have been issued for the defendents who failed to appear in court.
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Disorganized transplant program costly to patients
In an 11-part series, Anna Werner of KPIX-San Francisco analyzed national transplant data and found serious questions about the kidney transplant program at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco. "Kaiser's transplant program was set up poorly and still today is disorganized" and many patients were left waiting. Numerous accusations of disorganization and delays had have affected patients' health. State regulators launched an investigation into Kaiser Permanente's kidney transplant program. The complete 11-part series began May 2.
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Car repair stores charge for work they don't do
Joel Grover and Matt Goldberg of KNBC-Los Angeles used test cars with hidden cameras to show the apparent scheme at car repair stores: charging customers for the work they never even done. "'Does this happen to customers a lot?' NBC4's Joel Grover asked a former employee of America's biggest Lube and tune chain, Jiffy Lube. 'Every day,' the insider replied. "
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Airport screeners' ID and uniforms go missing
Brian Collister, Stephen Kline and Mandi Johnston of WOAI-San Antonio analyzed records, obtained through FOIA, from the Transportation Security Administration and found that "more than 1,400 TSA employee ID badges and uniform items have been reported lost or stolen since 2003. " Noting that terrorists have used stolen badges and uniforms to pull off attacks overseas, the Department of Homeland Security issued several warnings to local, state and federal agencies to guard uniforms and badges in the past few years. But the investigation showed that the airport screeners, intended to keep you safe from terrorists, are actually making it easier for terrorists to strike again. See the full story as it was broadcast (approx. five minutes).
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Sex offenders working at McDonald's around the nation
Phil Williams of WTVF-Nashville used the state's registry of sex offenders to show that McDonald's restaurants across the country have repeatedly hired sex offenders and child molesters. For instance, the investigation found that a twice-convicted rapist and child molester in Indiana heads a list of 13 McDonald's employees on the sex offender registry. Another convicted child molester in Alaska is among 14 McDonald's workers — sex offenders — who are listed on that state's registry. The franchisees are not required to do background checks, and a statement sent to use by McDonald's suggest the corporation may not always do background checks. A map shows a state-by-state analysis
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Tenn. legislative workers get hefty raises
Nancy Amons of WSMV-Nashville compared databases of state employees' salaries in 2003 and 2006 to show that most state employees got a 9 percent increase over a three-year period, while some top executives took home raises of 45 percent and more. The investigation found that the clerks of the State House and Senate got increases of more than 25 percent, although they do not have any kind of performance reviews. Ten staffers in the legislature were found who make more than $100,000 a year each averaged a 20 percent increase from 2003 to 2006. "That's more than TWICE what the average state worker got during the same time period — 9 percent. " The state also has a record number of employees making more than $200,000 a year. This number of employees has increased from 2 in 2003 to 11 in 2006. The story includes achart of salary increases for the 25 highest-paid legislative employees.
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Serious problems with tornado sirens
Bob Segall of WTHR-Indianapolis used county records to find there are serious issues with many of central Indiana's tornado sirens. The investigation found problems that included sirens that have failed thousands of times, to inoperable sirens, to local officials who have no idea whether sirens are working or even where the sirens are. "For example, on a single test date in October, 2004, records show 70 siren failures. But the week before, only one siren failed, and the week after, 23 sirens failed. " Records show sirens have failed to work properly 4,689 times over the past six years, both during regular Friday morning testing and during actual storms. There were several dates when more than half of them weren't working — at least 70 sirens listed as failing simultaneously. The story includes a sidebar on the coverage area and how they reported the story
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Delphi executives fly high as company sinks
Steve Wilson of WXYZ-Detroit found that although Delphi, the giant auto parts company, was facing bankruptcy, scores of top executives and officers were reaping sizeable special bonuses and cash incentives. Delphi admits such benefits are not available to its hourly workers because they claim that while executives are making less than competitive salaries, American workers are already making more than the market should bear. "After making $2 billion in its first two years on its own, Delphi began to hemorrhage red ink, posting loss after loss totaling a whopping $6.3 billion in the last seven quarters reported. The company says it lost more than a billion just last December." The investigation also found that, contrary to Delphi claims that its most-senior American workers earn more than $70 an hour, the truth is even counting all the benefits, it's closer to $50 an hour. Also, the CEO's pledge to work for a dollar a year turned out to be no more than a PR ploy after he collected a $3 million sign-on bonus and nearly a million more in paychecks for just six month's work last year.
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LA health officials slow to warn public
Joel Grover of KNBC-Los Angeles looked through hundreds of internal health department records to show that even though people were contracting the Hepatitis A virus at well-known restaurants and at a catered lunch, the Los Angeles health department didn't issue a public warning for months. The investigation revealed that officials first learned of a reported outbreak in early September in downtown LA, including workers at a soup kitchen and by early October, there was another outbreak with at least 16 more people getting sick after eating at another restaurant. "Weeks later, at least 18 more people are infected on a movie set after eating food from Silver Grill catering." For months, while the Hepatitis A virus was spreading through LA, the health department didn't issue a single public warning.
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Ohio fails to report buses use of dangerous railroad crossings
Duane Pohlman of WEWS-Cleveland used state records to show Ohio had failed to mention in federal records that certain school buses drive through railroad crossing that have no gates, alarms or warning signs on them. The investigation found the state of Ohio was purposely not mentioning the crossings to aviod spending money installing the gates, which cost as much as $150,000 per crossing. "However, studies have shown that gates make railroad crossings as much as 90 percent safer. " Thousands of school kids could be in danger riding the school bus to and from school each day. A follow-up story says Congressman Dennis Kucinich plans to deliver copies of the report to the U.S. secretary of transportation and members of Congress.
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U.S. planes have no defense against shoulder-fired missiles
Brian Ross, Jill Rackmill and Eric Longabardi report for ABC News that "experts say that shoulder-to-air missiles can be bought for only a few thousand dollars on the black market. But U.S. commercial aircraft still have no defense system against these portable missiles." Last November last year, an American Airlines pilot taking off from Los Angeles International Airport reported that a rocket might have been fired at his plane. "The federal government still has no definitive plan to protect U.S. commercial aircraft, even though two companies have developed systems that they affirm will defeat the missiles."
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Car donations to charities thwarted by salvage companies
Dave Savini of WBBM-Chicago used a computer database of vehicle identification numbers to show criminals are cashing in on vehicles donated to charity, in a series that exposed how two unlicensed Illinois towing and salvage companies cheated nearly 200 charities nationwide. The companies were run by convicted felons. The investigation revealed how they ripped off 5,000 cars with an estimated street value of $2 million. "No one was monitoring how these private towers and salvage yards handled car donation money." The reports have lead to police raids, grand jury investigations and proposed legislation that would ban felons from operating as middlemen in the car donation industry. The new car donation bill would also require full disclosure of who profits from each donation and how much of the proceeds go to charity. "The car businesses would be required to report to the attorney general's office."
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Data shows most dangerous highways in NY, NJ
Brendan Keefe of WCBS-New York investigated highways in New York and New Jersey to determine which were the most dangerous ones. "In 2004, there were 21 fatalities on Interstate 80, 35 on the New Jersey Turnpike and 42 on the Garden State Parkway." New York's worst roads for highway deaths: Interstate 87 — 17 dead. State Route 5, upstate — 24 dead, and on Long Island, Sunrise Highway — 22 dead. Statistically, some roads appeared to be more dangerous than others. But those same statistics show that in three out of four crashes, the human element is the primary cause. (Editor's note: Megan Means of the IRE and NICAR Database Library assisted with the data analysis for this story.)
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Former narcotics officers sick, dying
Producer Nishi Gupta and reporter Debbie Dujanovic of KSL-Salt Lake City follow up on a series of reports investigating the rate of disease and death in former narcotics officers who were exposed to chemicals in the meth labs they raided. In a recent follow-up report they document a total of 84 officers exposed to chemicals inside meth labs who are sick or have died. After these stories aired, the Utah legislature passed a bill that funds a two-year study to look into a connection between meth labs and officer health. They "discovered 24 of the 42 are suffering with chronic health problems or have died. Ten under the age of 50 have or have had cancer. That's 177 times the rate of cancer for that age group." The initial series of reports, titled "Something Killing Cops," includes the initial piece, a look at what research groups and experts say, and a report on the financial stress these illnesses pose.
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Unpaid parking tickets and broken fire hydrants in Philly
Two recent investigations by Jim Osman of KYW-Philadelphia uncovered hundreds of broken fire hydrants, while hundreds of millions of dollars are waiting to be collected from parking ticket deadbeats. Many hydrants were out of service, in some cases, for years. Some of the busted hydrants are next to buildings that house children, the sick and the elderly. "In Philadelphia, years of city records obtained by KYW show 25 percent of the cities almost 350 broken fire hydrants have been busted for six months or longer and still were not repaired. " In a separate report, Osman used city records to show that about $400 million have not been collected from parking ticket deadbeats who have ignored the law for years. "If collected, the total amount of unpaid parking tickets in the Delaware Valley would pay for five-thousand additional state troopers for one year or just as many teachers or could buy almost 800 new fire trucks."
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Tax delinquents still get public funding
Mark Greenblatt of KHOU-Houston used tax records to show that in Houston, though some local landlords haven't paid their property taxes in years, the government vault is still open to them. "Despite owing the government money, these property owners are still getting millions of dollars in public funding." For instance, the investigation found that in Houston and Harris County, a property owned by UCE Real Estate owed more than $5,000 in taxes dating back 10 years, and yet they received more than $100,000 in government funds. There were about 70 landlords who still owed the government tax money.
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Library plagued by serious violations
Chris Halsne of KIRO-Seattle used the internal library database from Seattle's new $169 million downtown library to show it is plagued by some serious security concerns. Hundreds of patrons are kicked out for repeatedly getting drunk, sleeping or more serious matters, like threats, sexual misconduct and assaults. "Records show 491 "code of conduct violations" serious enough to get a patron kicked out. Since June of 2004, documents show 22 incidents of sexual misconduct or public nudity; 60 threats of violence, including loud, racially-motivated or obscene rants; 76 cases of harassment, disruptive behavior, leering, stalking. " Guards documented seven cases of physical assault and at least 13 illegal drug incidents. Patrons have repeatedly been expelled for sexually inappropriate behavior.
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Expensive puppies seriously sick soon after purchase
A four-month investigation by Reporter Jeff Burnside and Producer Scott Zamost of WTVJ-South Florida revealed that puppies being purchased from a popular pet operation based in South Florida were seriously ill, with some even dying soon after they were bought. The investigation found 160 customers nationwide, most with sick dogs. "Some are described in veterinary records as suffering from "pneumonia," a "heart murmur," "massive fatal hemorrhaging," "collapsed lung," and being "unfit for sale."" The store selling these puppies, Wizard of Claws, contends it sells only the best dogs, which is why they sell for up to $10,000. The Humane Society of the United States sued Wizard of Claws after WTVJ's stories aired.
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Parking tickets dismissed without legitimate reasons
Phil Williams of WTVF-Nashville reviewed more than 136,000 parking tickets to show that almost 16,000 parking tickets were dismissed or, in court language, retired, for no apparent reason. In one instance, court records show that though the vehicles of employees at a downtown Walgreens had racked up well over 200 tickets, none of them were paid. Store manager Barbara Van Meter got hit with 57 parking tickets and two speeding tickets in two years, none of which was paid. " In some cases, notes of the Walgreens tickets indicated a judge dismissed them as "ROP" — request of prosecutor — or request of officer. " The investigation found that tickets were being taken care of for politicians, police employees, even court officials.