Resource Center

Stories

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 "Miami" ...

  • Sun Sentinel: Speeding Cops

    A Miami cop in his marked patrol car set off a public fury in the fall of 2011 when a Florida state trooper clocked him going 120 mph to an off-duty job. Turning to technology and a never-before used tool – highway toll records – the Sun Sentinel produced back-to-back investigations documenting widespread police misconduct and the professional solidarity that allowed it to flourish. In "Above the Law," a three-part series published in February, reporters used police toll records to confirm what many South Florida drivers had witnessed for years: cops were among the worst speeders on the roads, taking advantage of the badge and patrol car to ignore the very laws they enforce. "Short Shifted," a two-part series published in December, used those same toll records to detail how many South Florida cops, paid to serve and protect, were regularly leaving their beats and cities before their shifts ended.

    Tags: Police; police speeders

    By Sally Kestin; John Maines

    Sun-Sentinel

    2012

  • George Alan Rekers and the Rent Boy

    George Rekers is a major anti-gay activist who pioneered a so-called clinical "cure" for homosexuality in the 1970s. The Miami New Times caught him vacationing with an escort from rentboy.com.

    Tags: homosexuality; gay; george rekers; escort; rentboy.com; anti-gay; Family Research Council

    By Penn Bullock; Brandon K. Thorp

    Village Voice (New York)

    2010

  • Lebron James Exists Cleveland

    The story covers NBA star Lebron James' decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and sign with the Miami Heat.

    Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers; Miami Heat; Lebron James; NBA; basketball

    By Brian Windhorst; Debra Adams Simmons

    Cleveland Plain Dealer

    2010

  • Disorderly Conduct

    The investigation documented the unreported abuses at Miami Beach Police Department including officers shoplifting, sleeping on duty, and harassing gay men.

    Tags: police; police officer; abuse; Miami; off-duty

    By Tim Elfrink

    Village Voice (New York)

    2010

  • Miami; City Politics, Finance on Edge

    During the booming times around the country, everyone was spending money, especially the local government in Miami. The officials in Miami were spending money even if they didn’t have it and creating deficits, which are too difficult to get around during the hard times. Furthermore, the city has depleted their reserves by “more than $50 million” to help fix the deficits, which isn’t doing them any good.

    Tags: taxes; taxpayers; expenses; costs; corruption; politicians; politics; revenue; emergency funds; money transfers

    By Charles Rabin; Larry Lebowitz; Michael Sallah; David Ovalle; Scott Hiaasen; Andres Viglucci; Audra Burch; Ronnie Greene

    Miami Herald

    2009

  • County Hall: The Perks of Public Office

    The series looks at local politicians and their spending habits. These habits were rather lavish for a local government which had to cut spending on certain programs. The stories focus on “everything from how commissioners were using aides as personal chauffeurs to the global travel the commissioners took with no benefit to taxpayers”. Further, advisors of the mayor were receiving “double digit” pay raises, while the budget was crumbling.

    Tags: politics; public; officials; Miami-Dade County Hall; corruption; taxes; budget hearings; salary

    By Matthew Haggman; Jack Dolan; Ronnie Greene

    Miami Herald

    2009

  • University Alert System Fails

    An armed robbery taking place just feet off of the University of Miami campus failed to trigger a system-wide emergency notification. The text messages and e-mails meant to alert students and faculty of the danger were never sent out. CBS4 uncovers the failure.

    Tags: armed robbery; University of Miami; alert; system; fail; students; crime; gunmen; e-mails; text messages; emergency;

    By Gio Benitez; Waverly Allen;

    WFOR-TV (Miami)

    2009

  • A Question of Security

    The "investigation discovered allegations of overfilling and security gaps at three major facilities in South Florida- the Miami Metrorail system and the Juvenile Assessment Center and a major hospital. All have contacts with Wackenhut, one of the largest security companies in America. The publicly funded contracts involve millions of dollars. Not only did we observe unfilled posts first-hand, but guards, former guards and supervisors went public detailing a pattern of fraud."

    Tags: security; fraud; city government; contracts; transportation; health care; hospital; guards; Wakenhut

    By Scott Zanost; Jeff Burnside; Pedro Cancio; John Lang; Matt Wilson

    WTVJ-TV (Miami)

    2007

  • The Wrong Suspect

    Kevin Wehner was announced as the prime suspect for the deaths of four Miami-Dade cops after Shawn LaBeet, a violent felon, had stolen his identity four years before. CBS4's investigation revealed that "a combination of both poor police work and lack of communication among local, state and federal agencies allowed Shawn LaBeet to remain free.

    Tags: police; identity theft; local agency; state; federal; communication; assault weapons; drivers license; Florida; DMV; Department of Motor Vehicles;

    By Jim DeFede

    WFOR-TV (Miami)

    2007

  • The People Under the Bridge

    Residency restrictions placed on sex offenders led to three people to be forced to live across the street from the Miami-Dade's felony courthouse underneath a bridge. By doing so, their probation officers could check on them every night during their state-mandated curfew.

    Tags: homeless; sexual abuse; molestation; Kristi House; Angel Sanchez; Marco Carrasquillo; Patrick Wiese

    By Isaiah Thompson

    Miami News

    2007