The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "KOMO" ...
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KOMO TV: Under the Bridge
Our ongoing investigation “Under the Bridge” began with a tip about workers drinking on the job and ultimately uncovered a pattern of design flaws, construction mistakes and contract violations made in the building of the largest floating bridge in the world.
Tags: Bridge; design; construction; contract; flaw
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Seattle Police:Vanishing Videos
This story began as a relatively simple venture; how to get copies of police dashboard camera videos to provide watchdog oversight of a police department facing growing criticism. It grew into a major expose of questionable police tactics and a battle for public access to critical public records that is currently before the state Supreme Court. Over the course of a year and a half, KOMO TV’s fight for videos and the video database became a game of strategy and attrition as the Seattle Police Department denied us access to public records at every opportunity. We tried every means at our disposal to get these records including direct appeals to elected officials. Finally, with no other recourse, KOMO TV sued the SPD and the city of Seattle. Only then did we make our fight for these records public. What followed in 2012 was a cascade of stories; people coming forward alleging police misconduct and an attempt to hide the videos that would tell the truth. In addition to KOMO TV’s public records lawsuit, our investigation has prompted state legislators and other open records advocates to pursue changes in state law to ensure these records can no longer stay hidden.
Tags: police; camera videos; SPD; Seattle Police Department; public records
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Airport Insecurity
With the help of a whistle blower, KOMO-TV showed that airport security was lax when it came to maintaining security among airport staff. Outfitting the "whistle blower with a hidden camera and on different days and times of days, [the] whistle blower went into every secure area of the airport without once being checked, or questioned." As a result of this report, TSA announced that it would screen all employees.
Tags: airport; security; whistle blower; hidden camera; Transportation Security Administration; Port Authority; TSA; employees
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Who's Driving Your Kids?
KOMO investigated rumors of school bus drivers behind the wheel without valid driver's licenses. The school district operates on the honor system, relying on drivers to tell their superiors about moving infractions.
Tags: bus drivers; child safety; driving infractions; suspended licenses
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Trouble In Toyland
After a toddler died from eating tiny magnets that fell off a toy, the Magnetix Building Set, the family contacted KOMO-TV. The following investigation found that building sets fell apart regularly and found "3 other children on the West Coast who were at death's doorstep after swallowing magnets."
Tags: toys; hazard; magnets; children; death; health risk; toymakers; CPSC
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The Ugly Americans: Child Sex Tourism
KOMO-TV reports about "the tragedy of child sex tourism, and Americans' involvement in it... examples of American tourists who traveled abroad to third-world countries to have sex with children... we got a tip from Central America that someone in our region, the Pacific Northwest, was doing more than just having sex with children. Child prostitution opponents had heard he was selling girls, some as young as 14, for sex. We traveled to the man's club in Honduras and discovered the tip was true. We also discovered that man had been a registered sex offender in the US."
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1999 IRE National Conference Show and Tell Tape #3
1999 IRE National Conference (Kansas City) Show and Tell Tape #3 is the third in a nine-part series. This tape includes: 1.) Larry Posner (Inside Edition) Pro-wrestling content. 2.) Patrick Comer (WINK-West Palm Beach) Gypsy Family/ Barely Buried 3.) Chip Wallace (Freelance) Phony Police Charities 4.) Randy Travis (WAGA-Atlanta) Community service payoffs 5.) Wes Williams (KPNX-Phoenix) Security guards with criminal records 6.) Allen May (WTMJ-Milwaukee) Unlicensed car dealers 7.) Chris Heinbaugh (KOMO-Seattle) Foreign child prostitutes 8.) Paul Adrian (WTNH - Hartford) Private ambulance company errors (American Medical Response) 9.) Brian Collister (Texas Network) The sale of fake doctor prescriptions for a hot tub discount
Tags: TAPE; Kansas City; conference; no transcripts; IRE
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1997 IRE TV Award Winners and Finalist.
The 1997 IRE TV Award Winners and Finalist tape is a compilation of 5 stories. 1.) "Blood Money," ABC News. Chilling video of the executions of Chinese prisoners and the selling of their organs to fund a profit-making organized criminal activity. See #14327. 2.) "Probable Cause," Dateline, NBC News. Systematic illegal traffic stops, brutal behavior and unfair drug seizures in Louisiana with a system where judges who decide cases benefit from ill-gotten gains and innocent citizens actually pay to go to court and get their appeals heard. See #14444. 3.) "License For Sale." KCBS, Los Angeles. An elaborate network for selling legitimate California driver licenses used for everything from getting government services to boarding commercial airlines. See # 14316. 4.) "Poor Justice? The Susan Cummings Story," KOMO, Seattle. The conviction and imprisonment of a 16-year-old girl for a murder she may not have committed. See #14305. 5.) "Military Medical Malpractice," WRAL, Raleigh N.C. Medical malpractice remains a well-kept military secret, with no one protecting millions of servicemen and women or their families from shocking standards and practices by inept doctors. See # 14287.
Tags: TAPE; crime; court; police; health care; veteran; hospital; foi; car; ire; no transcripts.
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IRE Feed 4 "Investigate This"
A compilation of 17 stories, including: 1.) "Deadly Detectors" WFXT, Boston, tested smoke detectors against the clock. 2.) "Burning Secret" WSMV, Nashville, State troopers were temporarily blinded and burned with pepper spray to feel it's effects, but without knowing the deadly and unhealthy hazards of the spray. 3.) "Take the Money and Run" News 12 Long Island, Election candidates betting campaign money. 4.) "Steroids For Sale" KPRC, Houston, Steroids illegally prescribed and Houston Police as customers. 5.) "Behind the Badge" WTHR, Indianapolis, Convicted criminal Police Officers. 6.) "Daycare Criminal Checks" KTVK, Dallas 7.) "Candy man" KOMO, Seattle, Teacher uses minors for door-to-door candy sales, usually in violation of child labor laws. 8.) "Illegal School Vans" WEWS, Cleveland, Schools transporting children in unsafe and illegal vans instead of buses. 9.) "High Crimes, High School" WITI, Milwaukee 10.) "Life After Death Row" WRAL, Raleigh 11.) "Foul Air" WWOR, New York, Carbon monoxide poisoning in indoor ice rinks. 12.) "Hard Bounces" KTVK, Dallas, "Banks that practice check ordering, or cashing larger checks first, equaling more profits for banks and more fines for customers. 13.) "Investigating the IRS" KTVK, Dallas 14.) "Fake Degrees" WFXT, Boston, Fake universities giving fake degrees. 15.) "Who is Mr. Wright?" KOMO, Seattle, An illegit doctor with fake credentials. 16.) "Medical Secrets" News 12 Long Island, A woman with terminal breast cancer, a doctor who failed to diagnose it, and a hospital that protected the doctors and punished the whistle blowers 17.) "Military Secrets" WRAL, Raleigh, Military doctors without medical licenses.
Tags: TAPE; WFXT; WSMV; KPRC; WTHR; KTVK; KOMO; WEWS; WITI; WRAL; WWOR; News 12 Long Island
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Looking for Mr. Wright
A KOMO-TV investigation examines the growth of identity fraud, a growing crime in the United States. Perpetrators steal victims' credit cards, checks and in some cases, entire identities.
Tags: TAPE FBI Doctors