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 "tow" ...
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Parking tickets include fee for phantom towing
A computer analysis of more than 38,000 parking tickets revealed that a police officer was assessing towing charges on hundreds of tickets he wrote for illegally parked cars – even though he never summoned a tow truck. The charges for the phantom tows totaled nearly $10,000, making him the city’s most prolific ticket writer. After the story, the city suspended the officer, offered refunds and no longer allows ticketing officers to assess towing charges.
Tags: car; towing; ticket; fraud; police officer; parking; parking ticket
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Danger In Tow
ABC 15 investigators focus on the U-Haul tow dolly and find that those renting the tow dollies to motorists were ignoring safety concerns, resulting in a number of accident deaths. Specifically, these accidents happen when the rental equipment forced people's cars out of control. Delving into documents of nearly 40 such cases, the investigators further discover that some U-Haul locations did not even check a safety hook-up before allowing its customers to rent a tow dolly.
Tags: safety; victim depositions; u-haul; motorist; accidents; deaths; FOI
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The Tow-Away Tax Break
This article investigates the concept of car donation programs and discovers that these programs benefit everyone but the charities they are intended to help. The foremost beneficiary is the car donor who can get a tax deduction of about $1200 for a car that's hardly worth $200. The second beneficiaries are the fundraisers who victimize these charities, the story says. Also, the report points out that of the $37 million raised by commercial fundraisers in 1991 through the sale of donated vehicles, only $11.5 million reached charities.
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No Tow Zone
An in-depth investigation using Computer Assisted Reporting showed that during snow emergencies, tow trucks rarely showed up to certain parts of St. Paul. The story examines the ramifications for poorer communities as far as selective enforcement and unequal municipal services are concerned.
Tags: Snow; tow; city services
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Bricker's Tow
A KGO-TV hidden camera investigation showed a towing company repeatedly towing cars illegally.
Tags: San Francisco; California; Bricker's Tow; towing; trucks; illegal; cars; impound; TAPE; TRANSCRIPT
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Impound Lot
A report on the City of Baltimore's impound lot and why many motorists were getting their cars back with major damage. The investigation found that the city's negligence was costing taxpayers more than a half million dollars per year in damage claims from citizens.
Tags: TAPE; TRANSCRIPT; City of Baltimore; impound lot; towed cars; city negligence; damage claims
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2002 IRE National Conference Show and Tell Tape #1,
2002 IRE National Conference (San Francisco) Show and Tell Tape #1 features the following stories: 1) Mark Greenblatt (KOAA-Colorado Springs) Knives and other weapons are brought into area schools, but local authorities do a poor job of keeping track of the infractions. 2) Joe Ducey (KRON-San Francisco) A loophole in food transportation laws in California allows small wholesalers to truck food that should be kept cold in hot vehicles without facing any penalties. 3) Anna Werner (KHOU-Houston) presents short clips of broadcasts that illustrate good use of graphics and sound. 4) Dave Savini (WMAQ-Chicago) Area firefighters and police officers are allowed to continue patrolling the streets despite DUI convictions. 5) Jim Strickland (WSB-Atlanta) The American Biographical Institute sells dubious awards like "Man of the Year" to Regular Joes for exuberant prices. 6) Dan Noyes (ABC 7-San Francisco) A local towing company illegally tows cars that have been parked for only a half hour, instead of waiting the required hour before towing. 7) Tony Kovaleski (ABC 7-Denver) Jefferson County school bus drivers are forced to drive unsafe buses. 8) Bill Sheil (Fox 8-Cleveland) A local Muslim leader is found to have an indirect tie to an organization linked to Osama Bin Laden. 9) Twenty-five clips from various broadcasts showing camera techniques. 10) Mark Lagerkvist (News 12-Long Island) Malpractice lawsuits have a statute of limitations of two year and six months. This can harm certain patients who don't know they've been injured until five or 10 years later. 11) Darcy Spears (KVBC-Las Vegas) A local lasik eye surgery clinic recommends the surgery to all its patients -- even those who shouldn't undergo the procedure. 12) Phil Williams (WTVF-Nashville, Tenn.) A local county clerk makes one of his employees buy him beer and mow his lawn. 13) Sandra Chapman (WISH-Indianapolis) A local doctor gives out highly addictive narcotics to patients without examining them. Many of her patients are simply "dopers" who've found an easy place to buy their drugs. 14) Glen Meek (KTNV-Las Vegas) The former UCLA men's soccer coach, Todd Saldana, received his undergraduate degree from a fake university. Saldana resigned after the story broke. 15) Larry Yellen (WFLD-Chicago) Security guards at a local federal building sleep on the job.
Tags: TAPE; San Francisco; conference; no transcripts; IRE
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How one man quietly assembled... A Towing Empire: Blackhawk man has built fortune off Oakland contract
The Oakland Tribune tells the story of Oakland multimillionaire Bill Taylor, a politically connected businessman who owns the only towing company contracted with the city of Oakland. Taylor's contract with the city has never been audited and the true value of the contract is known to no one expect Taylor and his associates. The Oakland Tribune suggests that Taylor may be getting preferential treatment from city council members.
Tags: Oakland; California; Bill Taylor; towing; city council; government; city politics; Blackhawk
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Are you paying too much for auto insurance?
Consumer Reports examines auto insurance premiums in seven big states, and finds that there can be more than a fourfold difference in prices for identical coverage from different insurers. The article explains how insurance companies tailor policies to specific drivers, possibly overcharging them. It also reveals that "U.S. drivers overpay some $300-million by failing to take advantage of them." The report includes table of premiums that the major insurers in California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington would offer specific drivers, depending on their mileage, record, age and marital status.
Tags: automobiles; cars; driving record; road accidents; insurance coverage; teenage driving; commuters; speeding tickets; towing
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The Truth About Towing
The Chicago Tribune Magazine reports on the city tow truck business. In a department competing with newly privatized towing contracts and dealing with scandals involving the stripping of impounded cars, one reporter spends some time riding with a tow truck driver to see the story from the inside out. For tow truck drivers, towing illegally parked cars is just business; for citizens it's expensive, embarrassing and inconvenient. However, these city employees who are just doing their job are a dying breed; they're being replaced by guys for whom the number of cars towed is directly linked to the amount of money they make.
Tags: towing; privatization