William "Windy" March - Chief Political Reporter (Tampa Tribune)

Websites and technology has amplified the amount of public records an individual can access. Although a key to great reporting is going out in the field and checking the details for yourself.

The longest standing political reporter in Tampa, William “Windy” March, discussed in length the importance of research and becoming an information entrepreneur as a reporter. March deals with campaign finance and disclosure reports. He investigates elements of these reports that may be a violation to federal or state laws.

When conversing about a report he created that ended up convicting and sentencing a law violator to jail, March explained how to find particular campaign finance records. Although these outlets provide the information you desire, March says that the documents are written so carefully and are so detailed that they are not easily able to be combed through.

Thus, becoming an information entrepreneur will help a person succeed as a reporter. An information entrepreneur scans and searches websites and newspaper clipping for tips and/or the exact information they need. Being able to research public records without leaving your desk and getting the background information on suspects only helps and supports your ability to write a detailed report or hold a better interview.

In the case of March’s report, he was able to do all the background work from his desk and then go out into the field, Miami, and try to locate the violating business and associates. Having the proper information prior to going out in the field is invaluable because, as March said, when you approach a person and know more about what’s going on than they do, they won’t be willing to talk and they somewhat convict themselves.

Getting out in the field, and even getting “no comment” responses still enables a reporter to say they made the effort to talk to the individual and it also goes documented in case a detail as such is needed in court.

March provided websites and links for us to look over when searching for campaign finance and disclosure records; however, I believe his statement to become an information/research entrepreneur as a reporter establishes a stronger, fundamental backing.

Preston Trigg - Hillsborough County Tax Collector

Knowing where to look for information as well as understanding what type of material a reporter can access is effective when performing investigative research.

Preston Trigg, currently the Hillsborough County Tax Collector and Director of Administrative and Special Projects, gave a lecture on the diverse jobs and duties he is in charge of. Trigg was formerly an investigative reporter for the Tampa Tribune and provided extended insight into the types of records available, exemptions and some tricks of the trade when investigating.

Trigg established that there is a wealth of public records available from his office. Tax records, although there is an urge to privatize them, limiting public access, are available. Whether it’s a property, business or non-privacy part of motor vehicle record for an individual, they are open to the public and obtainable through Triggs office.

A database on hillstax.org, a website ran by Triggs office, allows a person to search another individual about whether or not they paid their taxes, how much their property is worth (taxable value) and where their property is.

Any person can make a public records request. They can do so without providing a name or reason. As well, public record certified copies can be made for only 15 cents a page and if that ends up being too much money, an agency cannot deny an individual access to simply look at the record and take notes.

Although there are privacy concerns with websites like this, Triggs stated the importance of openness and transparency with government. As a constitutional officer, Triggs believes that the biggest threat to individuals is secrecy by the government, it leads to tyranny.

However, there are exemptions to particular public record requests. School records, proprietary records and most records involving juveniles are a few of the exemptions.

Some tricks of the trade Triggs left us with as an investigative reporter were to always, ALWAYS follow the money and always, ALWAYS check it out … for yourself.

Triggs orientation about his profession, what public records are available from his office and how an investigative reporter should go about searching records is invaluable information.

http://hillstax.org/

Hillsborough County Jail

The Hillsborough County Jail off Orient road doesn’t simply just book the “bad” guys. The jail has created multiple intelligence facets that help control, monitor and regulate behavior and access.

Typically, an arrested individual stays at Orient road for under 30 days, however, with courts and other major cases taking up room on court docket, the jail must have several types of housing and supervision for the different types of individuals.

Jail cells aren’t seen as comfortable or homely, but the HCJ has created cells that convey a more social atmosphere. The jail is made up of pods that are broken down into either dormitory style living or confinement. The dorm-style living offers inmates a chance to socialize with others, play hoops or just hang out in and around their cell. Confinement is the bad subdivision, making inmates stay in lockdown for 23 hours of the day.

However, the jail pods have kiosks in them, providing insight to jail news for the inmates. The jail has done a fine job keeping inmates updated with jail minutes, menus, court dates and visitation hours. The kiosk is also a technological step up from the past which involved bugging the deputy on-call.

The jail offers three types of supervision as well. Linear vision, a deputy walks along a line of cells. This form is not good for the safety of cell mates because a deputy can only see what’s going on inside the cell when he or she walks in front of it. Remote vision, a deputy is stationed in an overlooking glass bubble. This form causes problems because deputies can not intervene rapidly with inmates if there was a skirmish. Direct vision, a deputy is in and around the cells 24hours/7days a week. This form allows deputies to walk around and get to know the inmates, establishing a comfort level with the group.

HCJ also provides educational and vocational classes to inmates. Providing computers and internet access to the individuals allows them to keep up with the times and learn.

The jail also has a records request center. This center keeps the records of all inmates until the person is moved or the case is closed. What’s important to note is that if a case is still open, access to all of the records is denied. As well, the HCJ website can inform you what type of file is available, a direct file or warrant or an on scene file or probable cause. The website helps determine if a trip down to the jail is needed.

The HCJ was interesting place to visit, especially, that being my first time in a jail. It appears that the jail is very well maintained and supervised as well as cordial when asked for information.

Larry McKinnon - PIO / 911 Call Center

Technology has effectively changed the way the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office (HCSO) manages cases and data entry/storage.

During our visit with HCSO public information officer (PIO) Larry McKinnon, he established the importance of becoming an environmentally-friendly agency as well as providing as much access, as needed, to the public and media.

Rather than having boxes and boxes of case files, the HSCO has begun writing and sending reports electronically. Allowing officers to enter data and fill reports from their portable computers stationed in their cars or on the streets. Economically speaking, the HSCO is saving $40,000 a year going without a paper trail and have increased their amount of scanning documents to PDF files and shredding copies.

Mr. McKinnon said it’s also important to have transparency between government and the media. A positive relationship between the two is a bridge of communication, allowing important stories to be dissected by reporters and the not-so important cases to keep in-house.

The HCSO has even created their own YouTube video page, showing full speeches and raw footage of officers and officials on duty. This creation in itself has made the HSCO agency its own media outlet. Almost forgoing reporters, the HSCO has established a way of getting the “correct” information out to the public, rather than from a reporter quoting witnesses or taking portions of speeches out of context.

McKinnon reiterated that it’s important to have solid communication between himself, a PIO, and the media. The media can either make the agency look really good, or really bad and its McKinnon’s job to protect the agency. Whether or not he shares information on a case ultimately reflects how the reporter writes up the story and the angle he/she takes. Thus, being translucent with the media helps facilitate a positive relationship between the HSCO and media outlets.

A visit to the HSCO 911 Call Center also opened my eyes to a new array of communication skills and tactics. Over 1.5M calls are answered by the agency each year. That amount is absurd, and the majority of the time, the calls are overreactions or need to be directed to a fire or medical service.

What I took from the 911 Call Center was that although technology has enabled this branch of the agency to keep up, using pinpoint maps and specialized computer programs, it’s about the people who take the calls.

The individuals who listen to people call in to tell them they are committing suicide or listening to a sheriff stand-off are strong-hearted individuals that are calm under pressure. These people are “life savers” and can do more for the agency in preventing harm and stopping obstruction than a typical person may think.

In all, visiting the HSCO brought to my attention the importance of the agency as a media outlet and as a center of safety and control. The people who work at the HSCO are positively contributing to society in more ways than just throwing the bad guys away.

Chris Davis-Investigative Reporter/Data Specialist

Rather than scoping a single event, the ability to look widespread, combine and condense data potentially may lead to significant findings and overall, a better report.

Chris Davis, an investigative reporter for the Sarasota Herald Tribune, who specializes in data-base research, has identified that by selecting a single topic and collecting numerous amounts of data in a selected range can lead to common identification. The accumulation of data not only makes the reader or viewer pause in their tracks, but also makes the information more prevalent and urgent.

When performing data base research for a journalistic report, Davis recommends gathering as much as information as you can, whether it may substantially apply to your report or not. This is important because the data gathered that may not contribute to the scope of the study may be used in maps, pie graphs, and even virtual animations.

Collecting data for reporting may also lead to legal action. If an individual is able to gather enough evidence for or against a case, the report itself may stand as a significant document in the judicial process. “Bad guys” may be identified through data collection and may show links to other cases, instances or individuals. When the amount of data is significant, such as a five hundred sample size, exact examples may be easier to select due to the small margin of error.

Personally, having a science background and growing up dabbling in science research for over five years, the importance of immense data collection is key when attempting to report or identify a proof or conclusion. The fact that data collection increases the reliability of a report only makes a reporter more versed and educated in that field. Also, a data-based report is more accurate than a single case and may be linked back to years of information and cases that went undiscovered.