CAR
FBI’s terrorism mission leaves white-collar crime unpunished
A story by Paul Shukovsky, Tracy Johnson and Daniel Lathrop of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports on a profound shift in the FBI’s mission. Due to a shift in focus to national security following 9/11, the FBI has failed to pursue thousands of white-collar crimes. “Five-and-a-half years later, the White House and the Justice Department have…
Read MoreOne third of fatal accidents linked to shady driving records
Sarah Okeson of Florida Today investigated Brevard County drivers involved in fatal accidents, specifically looking at drivers charged with DUI manslaughter or vehicular homicide between 2000 and 2006. She found that more than a third of them didn’t have a valid license to be on the road at the time of the wreck, had a…
Read MoreCampus accidents increase as inspection rates fall
Jeffery Brainard of The Chronicle of Higher Education discovered an increase in accidents on campuses as proper inspections have declined. “Serious accidents in which workers were killed or hospitalized have became more common on college campuses, according to a Chronicle analysis of federal safety-inspection records…nearly 200 significant campus incidents were cited by government officials between…
Read MoreResponse times faster on inner-city fires
John Tedesco, Karisa King and Kelly Guckian of the San Antonio Express-News analyzed six years of San Antonio Fire Department response-time data and found that firefighters reach inner-city structure fires quicker than in the outlying areas where firefighters cover more territory with fewer stations. In response to the Express-News coverage, local officials pledge to address…
Read MoreLax inspections leave Pennsylvania pets in peril
Tim Darragh and Christopher Schnaars of The Morning Call investigated the inspection of Pennsylvania dog kennels. Analyzing a database of 20,000 inspections since 2003, they found that kennel owners almost always got a satisfactory grade, even when they had violations. This kennel inspection data was made availabe on The Morning Call‘s site and is searchable…
Read MoreHouston burglary hot spots mapped
Dave Fehling of KHOU_Houston reports on the city’s burglary trends. “Analyzing raw numbers from the last two years, a special mapping program found five hot spots.” Further analysis of the data showed that the hot spots covered a higher concentration of apartment complexes, where it is easier for unfamiliar faces to move around unnoticed. The…
Read MoreSchool bus drivers in Ohio have questionable driving records
Using a database of school bus drivers and public records searches, Randy Ludlow and Jill Riepenhoff of the Columbus Dispatch found that more than 150 school-bus drivers have records of drunken driving and drug abuse. “State laws, practice and policies make it virtually impossible for school officials to review complete driving histories maintained by the…
Read MoreLottery sales slow in North Carolina
The (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer analyzed North Carolina lottery data and found that fewer outlets and lower prizes accounted for the slow sales in the new state lottery. J. Andrew Curliss and news researcher Paulette Stiles found “the number of outlets for every resident in North Carolina is significantly behind the saturation levels of…
Read MoreIowa drivers dodge high fines, license penalties
The Des Moines Register used data on driving-related offenses in Iowa to identify 78,000 people who owe at least $500 in fines. Reporter Lee Rood and data analyst Michael Corey found “The outstanding debt that all Iowans owe for everything from overdue speeding tickets to drunk driving fines to law enforcement surcharges is at a…
Read MoreLicense to Carry
In a four-part series, Megan O’Matz and John Maines of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel examined Florida’s concealed weapons law and found that licenses have been issued to hundreds of people who, due to their criminal histories, wouldn’t stand a chance of getting them in most other states. Courts have found them responsible for assaults, burglaries,…
Read More