HOUSTON — The IRE Awards recognizes outstanding watchdog journalism.
This year, KHOU 11 is honored to receive this award. KHOU 11 Investigates found that in a Texas town of about 250 people there were 50 sworn police officers. That's five times the number of any town its size.
Journalists Jeremy Rogalski, John Gibson and Jennifer Cobb found that more than half of those officers had been suspended, demoted, terminated, or dishonorably discharged from their previous law enforcement jobs. The misconduct ranged from untruthfulness and excessive force to criminal charges of official oppression and aggravated assault.
Since the story aired, city council members fired the police chief who hired them and shut down the department. Two grand juries have indicted seven former officers, including the police chief, for tampering with government records.
Since 1979, the IRE (Investigative, Reporters and Editors) Awards have recognized the most outstanding watchdog journalism of the year.
You can watch our investigation into Coffee City in the video window above.