Most people would say money is money, regardless of where it comes from. This in essence is the quickest way for corruption to makes it's way into society. Without the watchful eye of reporters like William March, it is hard to say where our government would be and what ethics may have dissolved.
Mr. March is not an investigative reporter but a political reporter. Sharing with us his stories gave me not only insight to the political world but to the world fighting illegally to support politics.
Money Laundering, making dirty money clean in an effort to support a preferred political candidate, has always been hard to catch but March went far enough and dug deep enough to uncover the filth of those getting around a fair system that limits what any one individual can donate to political candidates.
After bringing down a corrupt individual responsible for donating illegally to Clinton's campaign over ten years ago, March shared with us the sites that gave him access to records some may never consider. For example, although what political candidate an individual votes for is private, whether one voted or not or what party one is registered with is public. Sites like FEC.gov and moneyline.cq.com can provide information to tear down moneylaundering. The key to accomplishing this successfully, March mentioned, is to understand the site you are using and how to get the most out of it.
With anything we do in life, we want to fully maximize the work we put in in an effort to maximize results. Well, political reporting is no different. Opensecrets.org also allows for the light to be shed on any funny business conducted among those donating to campaigns.
There are endless website that can guide us to exactly what we need when simply googling a recipe, or trying to bring down a corrupt corporation. It all depends on your knowledge and willingness to put in the time.
Without the time, results are rare but when the effort is made, there is no way to explain the feeling of making a change in the system. If you don't believe me, ask March.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Our Favorite...Taxes!
Preston Trigg, Director of Administration at the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s office, came to shed a little light on yet another gate into the wonderful world of public records.
With the gray area of what is private and what is public in today's field of journalism, getting access to a plethora of what many may think of as private documents is easier than one may imagine.
Trigg went on to explain the various reasons property tax information is public and the benefits we as reporters can take advantage of to fully utilize these public records. It's suprisingly easy to find out who pays their taxes, what their taxes are and the worth of their home. Trigg went on to explain how this kind of information is important to find out who is playing the system.
When you think about it, it does make it hard to believe that someone making 100,000 a year can afford a 2 million dollar home. Something like this has "investigation" written all over it. Which leads to Trigg talking about following the money. It seems a lot in the world of public records deals with money. it is one of the biggest concerns of a lot of people, where is the money going or coming from?
There is no better way to keep track of what politicians or anyone scandalize may be doing with certain funds than through public records. Every class, we are given another valuable piece to the puzzle and I'm grateful to be able to get a better understanding of what is out there and how these simple records can change the way people behave.
It's important to keep our eyes open and alert but with ex-Investigative Reporters like Trigg around, pay your taxes cause you probably won't fall through the cracks when it comes to doing any dirty work.
With the gray area of what is private and what is public in today's field of journalism, getting access to a plethora of what many may think of as private documents is easier than one may imagine.
Trigg went on to explain the various reasons property tax information is public and the benefits we as reporters can take advantage of to fully utilize these public records. It's suprisingly easy to find out who pays their taxes, what their taxes are and the worth of their home. Trigg went on to explain how this kind of information is important to find out who is playing the system.
When you think about it, it does make it hard to believe that someone making 100,000 a year can afford a 2 million dollar home. Something like this has "investigation" written all over it. Which leads to Trigg talking about following the money. It seems a lot in the world of public records deals with money. it is one of the biggest concerns of a lot of people, where is the money going or coming from?
There is no better way to keep track of what politicians or anyone scandalize may be doing with certain funds than through public records. Every class, we are given another valuable piece to the puzzle and I'm grateful to be able to get a better understanding of what is out there and how these simple records can change the way people behave.
It's important to keep our eyes open and alert but with ex-Investigative Reporters like Trigg around, pay your taxes cause you probably won't fall through the cracks when it comes to doing any dirty work.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Going Behind the Bars
Some cliches never go out of style, "do the crime, do the time"...and we do the research on every detail, might I add.This, of course, is only made possible with a transparent system, which is what the jail on Orient Road proved to be.
Here in Hillsborough County, the Jail at Orient gives the feel of being far from home, no matter where Tampa residents reside, but has the capacity to house 2, 011. Home sweet home.
Reaching a record of 5,012 five years ago, Hillsborough County Jail has leveled out at about 3100 inmates. These numbers have recently decreased by an astounding 10% due to a new strategy officials are now implementing called ILP,or Intelligence Led Policy. Smarter arrests have lowered crime stats drastically.
This is done by focusing on the troublemakers who are responsible for 80% of the crimes, according to officials. A method so simple, but yet so productive.
Among those who do make it into the dog house and cannot post bail, they are held until coming before the in-house judge, which at times, could be weeks, months or, occasionally, years. They are then placed in holding cells, or PODS, where they are given behavior-based benefits depending on attitude and conduct. The stepping stones of "moving on up" in jail are clearly present at Orient, but great conduct still requires a degree of supervision.
With three tiers of supervised strategies tried in the past, Hillsborough County Jail finds the direct strategy most effective. This is when deputies stay in the POD 24/7 and eventually form relationships and levels of trust with the inmates. While some may believe this is odd and jail should be a place of punish,not relationships,I beg to differ. The worst punishment anyone could endure is loneliness and I believe it is important for a level of bonding to take place among the men, women and officers,for safety purposes and mere human needs at a bare minimum.
There is also access within these walls to documents and information many may not think twice to consider, but could easily find.
In the records office, files contain affidavits with criminal information, which is what a reporter would obtain to cover a crime. But of course, all social security numbers are redacted.
Even criminals have rights to privacy.
You can also get CRA's (Criminal Report Affidavit) from inactive records or contact Ms.Debbie Carter for further help with locating more specific files.
Some documents, like charges and posted bond can be accessed right online, while other documents, like information regarding the probable cause or the Direct File Warrant must be accessed in person or by contacting the originating agency.
When doing criminal research, it's important to make it count,after all, you only want to have to go to jail for a good reason, hopefully being to do some diligent research for an informative outcome.
Here in Hillsborough County, the Jail at Orient gives the feel of being far from home, no matter where Tampa residents reside, but has the capacity to house 2, 011. Home sweet home.
Reaching a record of 5,012 five years ago, Hillsborough County Jail has leveled out at about 3100 inmates. These numbers have recently decreased by an astounding 10% due to a new strategy officials are now implementing called ILP,or Intelligence Led Policy. Smarter arrests have lowered crime stats drastically.
This is done by focusing on the troublemakers who are responsible for 80% of the crimes, according to officials. A method so simple, but yet so productive.
Among those who do make it into the dog house and cannot post bail, they are held until coming before the in-house judge, which at times, could be weeks, months or, occasionally, years. They are then placed in holding cells, or PODS, where they are given behavior-based benefits depending on attitude and conduct. The stepping stones of "moving on up" in jail are clearly present at Orient, but great conduct still requires a degree of supervision.
With three tiers of supervised strategies tried in the past, Hillsborough County Jail finds the direct strategy most effective. This is when deputies stay in the POD 24/7 and eventually form relationships and levels of trust with the inmates. While some may believe this is odd and jail should be a place of punish,not relationships,I beg to differ. The worst punishment anyone could endure is loneliness and I believe it is important for a level of bonding to take place among the men, women and officers,for safety purposes and mere human needs at a bare minimum.
There is also access within these walls to documents and information many may not think twice to consider, but could easily find.
In the records office, files contain affidavits with criminal information, which is what a reporter would obtain to cover a crime. But of course, all social security numbers are redacted.
Even criminals have rights to privacy.
You can also get CRA's (Criminal Report Affidavit) from inactive records or contact Ms.Debbie Carter for further help with locating more specific files.
Some documents, like charges and posted bond can be accessed right online, while other documents, like information regarding the probable cause or the Direct File Warrant must be accessed in person or by contacting the originating agency.
When doing criminal research, it's important to make it count,after all, you only want to have to go to jail for a good reason, hopefully being to do some diligent research for an informative outcome.
Monday, February 8, 2010
A Day With the Sheriff
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is, like most other Sheriff's Offices, a place of records and access that many people do not realize they have at their fingertips. Although this information is accessible, it's important to understand how to go about accessing it and what cannot be withheld from you as a citizen.
Deputy Larry McKinnon shared with us a lot of information about gathering records containing specific information, and the paper trail that follows after an individual is arrested and put into their database. From criminal reports to Individual Charge Reports, the history of most criminal activity is available to those who know where to look. In this case, it is the Sheriff's office in Ybor City.
Well, once you've figuered out where to look, you must understand how to look. Deputy McKinnon put a huge emphasis on Statute 119 and the importance, as reporters or researchers in general, of understanding your rights to government documents to avoid being misled.
The deputy then went on to share with us the importance on his end of keeping a relationship with the media that is positive and open. When a reporter is denied access, suspicions will only rise and will not leave anyone with a positive feeling about what is not being exposed. Rather than let the media prowl for what may end up being false information, Deputy McKinnon made clear the importance of being upfront and honest, a policy that never goes out of style.
We were also given the opportunity to visit the 911 call center. Many people may imagine this to be a frantic place that constantly deals with emergency calls that could result in life or death, but this isn't the case. it's actually a calm room with few employees at a time. Actually, the most frequent calls, Senior Dispatcher Elliott Lopez explains, are the calls that are non emergencies or chronic callers. The list could go on, but every call is taken seriously, as chronic callers are liable to be arrested.
The visit overall is not what anyone may expect to come across when entering a Sheriff's Office or a 911 Call Center, but it is reality. Life happens all around us and seems worse than it is at times. This visit goes to show that while crime and emergencies are only a small portion of reality on a daily basis here in Hillsborough County, it is still taken seriously and addressed in the public eye.
Deputy Larry McKinnon shared with us a lot of information about gathering records containing specific information, and the paper trail that follows after an individual is arrested and put into their database. From criminal reports to Individual Charge Reports, the history of most criminal activity is available to those who know where to look. In this case, it is the Sheriff's office in Ybor City.
Well, once you've figuered out where to look, you must understand how to look. Deputy McKinnon put a huge emphasis on Statute 119 and the importance, as reporters or researchers in general, of understanding your rights to government documents to avoid being misled.
The deputy then went on to share with us the importance on his end of keeping a relationship with the media that is positive and open. When a reporter is denied access, suspicions will only rise and will not leave anyone with a positive feeling about what is not being exposed. Rather than let the media prowl for what may end up being false information, Deputy McKinnon made clear the importance of being upfront and honest, a policy that never goes out of style.
We were also given the opportunity to visit the 911 call center. Many people may imagine this to be a frantic place that constantly deals with emergency calls that could result in life or death, but this isn't the case. it's actually a calm room with few employees at a time. Actually, the most frequent calls, Senior Dispatcher Elliott Lopez explains, are the calls that are non emergencies or chronic callers. The list could go on, but every call is taken seriously, as chronic callers are liable to be arrested.
The visit overall is not what anyone may expect to come across when entering a Sheriff's Office or a 911 Call Center, but it is reality. Life happens all around us and seems worse than it is at times. This visit goes to show that while crime and emergencies are only a small portion of reality on a daily basis here in Hillsborough County, it is still taken seriously and addressed in the public eye.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Digging for Answers, Publicly...
Everything in life is easier said than done and reaping the benefits of what we learn sometimes takes us being put in certain situations, like Mr. Chris Davis who used the access we are all given to public records to reap answers to many questions.
In Davis' presentation to the class, he shared with us the real life everyday benefits and rights we have to know everything that is not seen in the light. After sharing his experiences as an Investigative Reporter for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune with our class, the importance of anything and everything "public" became clear.
He explained to us a story about a case that really had an impact for a lot of people who have, or could have, fallen victim to the illegal scheme of "flipping fraud."
Illegal real estate buying and selling in an effort to increase profits, quickly.
The time and money it took him and his team to recover all public documents is a process any of us could go through if we really are out to uncover the truth for any specific matter.
It was good to learn and really witness the benefits of accessing public records in the making. It's always easy to be told something is possible, but when you hear a story like Davis,' you understand it's not just words we are hearing, its our rights we are learning about.
In Davis' presentation to the class, he shared with us the real life everyday benefits and rights we have to know everything that is not seen in the light. After sharing his experiences as an Investigative Reporter for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune with our class, the importance of anything and everything "public" became clear.
He explained to us a story about a case that really had an impact for a lot of people who have, or could have, fallen victim to the illegal scheme of "flipping fraud."
Illegal real estate buying and selling in an effort to increase profits, quickly.
The time and money it took him and his team to recover all public documents is a process any of us could go through if we really are out to uncover the truth for any specific matter.
It was good to learn and really witness the benefits of accessing public records in the making. It's always easy to be told something is possible, but when you hear a story like Davis,' you understand it's not just words we are hearing, its our rights we are learning about.
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