Photo credit: duPont-Columbia Awards

A years-long investigation by WXYZ-TV (Detroit) detailing how troubled police officers were able to find new badges throughout Michigan has been honored with the duPont-Columbia Award, the highest honor in broadcast journalism.

The series of reports documented how problem officers were able to find refuge in neighboring departments, frequently leaving scandal, criminal charges and lawsuits in their wake. The reporting was used as a roadmap for new legislation, led the state to suspend officers’ law enforcement licenses and triggered the criminal conviction of another.

At a ceremony January 28 on the campus of Columbia University, investigative reporter Ross Jones, video editor Randy Lundquist, photojournalists Johnny Sartin and Ramon Rosario, assistant news director Ronnie Love, station manager and news director Tim Kochenderfer, and regional vice president and general manager Mike Murri were honored for the station’s reporting.

The award was presented by 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley and NPR host Michel Martin.  This is the third duPont Award for WXYZ.

Across 19 reports, WXYZ’s “Shielded” investigation showed how departments across Michigan frequently failed to follow rules meant to prevent problem officers from finding new badges.

The hires exposed by the station included officers found by their own departments to have physically abused citizens, engaged in sexual relations with suspects, used racist language recorded on dashcam video or been untruthful.