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 "NYC" ...
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Prisoners Dilemma: How NYC's Bail System Puts Justice on Hold
This story detailed how the imposition of financial bail in relatively minor criminal cases results in the pretrial detention of thousands of mostly poor, largely black or Hispanic New Yorkers every year. It explored every aspect of the process in which bail is set from arrest to arraignment to jail, looking at the role of police, prosecutors, judges, bail bond agents and other players. The piece documented deviations between the reality of bail and its statutory purpose and charted the impact of bail and detention on individual lives and the justice system, as well as dissecting some possible reforms to the system.
Tags: jail; criminals; justice system; trial; court; racism; crime; law; law enforcement
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Private Security in a Post-9/11 World
As the focal point of a study of the private guard industry in New York state, WNYC looks at Tristar Patrol Services, "which had seen a dramatic expansion after the September 11 attack in NYC, getting more than $80 million in contract work with the City of New York." The company had more than a thousand employees, mostly young minority males, and they had the task of protecting all of the city's office space, infrastructure and Fire Department facilities. The investigation found that Tristar's owner, Gary Zimmer, had been convicted of assault and had to resign as a police officer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, yet attained the right to hold a security guard company license when a judge, believing the owner's misrepresentation of his criminal case, granted him an exemption from state law. In addition, there were other issues as Tristar "had been disqualified from doing state work for misrepresenting it had properly credentialed guards, but went on to win a multi-million dollar, multi-year City contract." The company failed to properly compensate guards, including not paying for vacation or advanced state security credentials, and Tristar also did not pay "hundreds of thousands of dollars it was required to pay the union representing the guards to cover union dues and health and welfare benefits required by the contract." But because of the New York Secretary of State's lack of investigators, regulations were not enforced. Also, there is no uniform requirement across the country for the training and qualifications for security guards and companies.
Tags: Private security; Sept. 11, 2001; Tristar Patrol Services; Gary Zimmer; New York City security
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The Deputy Mayor and the Olympics
Although Bloomberg accepted no campaign contributions since first running for New York City mayor in 2001, Bernstein shows that his deputy mayor, Daniel Doctoroff, represented a conduit for donations from bankers, real estate developers and others with economic interests. While leading NYC 2012, an organization established to raise funds to bring the Olympics to New York, Doctoroff convinced many people who wanted to do business with the city of New York to donate to his pet organization.
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Breaking Down Hate Crime
McGinty used a hate crimes database obtained from the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force to analyze trends over time. She analyzed anti-ethnic crimes, hate crimes by type, hate crimes by location and by frequency to develop a comprehensive guide to hate crimes in New York. For instance, she found that Jews are the targets of most NYC hate crimes, and that most hat crimes occur in Brooklyn. She also found that incidence of hate crimes is down.
Tags: Computer Assisted Reporting; CAR; Mapping; database analysis; crime; police; race
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How to Solve a Murder: Two Bodies, Few Clues: The On-The-Job Education of a New NYPD Detective By a Veteran In His Final Days Before Retirement
Story includes a reflection of a New York City detective's 22-year career. The author also mentions how the "Safe Streets, Safe City" program has allowed younger cops to move up through the ranks quicker. A 1991 state law says that any cop who has worked for 18 months on investigative work be given a detective shield.
Tags: New York City; detective; detectives; Safe Streets Safe City; investigative; cops; police; NYC; NY; younger cops; young police; officers
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Never say Never
"Police Commissioner Ed Norris didn't want to be a cop, and many Baltimoreans sure didn't want him to be a cop here. One year after his tumultuous promotion, why is Norris still fighting to lower one of America's highest murder rates." Baltimore Magazine takes a look at Police Commissioner Ed Norris, who became the Baltimore Police Department's "Top Cop" in 2000 after being brought to the city as deputy commissioner from New York City. In New York, Norris, the son of veteran from the NYC Police Department, quickly rose from the ranks of captain to deputy commissioner when the city began to lower its crime rate in 1995. But when Norris decided to go to Baltimore he was met by resistance from community groups as well as some elected officials, who were concerned he was bringing a "New York" style of policing to Baltimore. Now Norris has managed to quiet most of his skeptics and is focusing on lowering the city's high murder rate.
Tags: Law enforcement; police; Baltimore
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Show and Tell from IRE National Conference in NYC 2000
The 2000 IRE National Conference (New York City) Show and Tell tapes contain a compilation of several investigative broadcast pieces. This file contains three tapes filled with these broadcast stories. Below you will find an attachment that lists the contents of each tape.
Tags: tape; show and tell; investigative; New York conference
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Lawsuit: The Daily News, The NYT Co., Newsday, A.P. and the NY Press Club vs Rudolph Guiliani, Howard Safir and the City of New York
Media organizations are challenging the legal rights of the NYC Police Dept. for its unconstitutional abridgement of newsgathering practices by journalists. During the past three years, the press have repeatedly been placed in "pens" limiting access to news events. Journalists and photographers were increasingly arrested. The problem has been addressed after litigation was threatened.
Tags: FOIA NYPD press pens First Amendment news coverage freedom of speech
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Head Found on Fifth Avenue
The New Yorker takes a look at how archaeologists are slowly discovering who has been taking the buried treasures of ancient Sicily. Many of the unearthed pieces have ended up in NYC's Metropolitan Museum of Art and in the homes of prominent private collectors. The search for looters and the consequences are the primary focus of this article.
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Getting Away With Justifiable Murder
In 1992, two NYC police officers gunned down Earl Black, a psychiatric patient, after Black allegedly lunged at them with a knife while surrounded by nurses and his mother at his home. Black's family sued the city for wrongful death and claimed the NYPD withheld key evidence that implicated the officers' guilt. A new trial has begun. Interviews with those involved in the case included.
Tags: Police brutality; NYPD; Mental health