Deadline Detroit reporter Violet Ikonomova investigated the oversight system used by the Detroit Police Department to evaluate officers accused of wrongdoing and uncovered a pattern that keeps bad police on the force. With a grant from the Fund, Ikonomova looked at cases of criminally charged officers who exhibited problems before their arrests to see how the department allowed them to remain on the force despite histories of abuse, lies, bad searches and more. The officers in some cases had injured and killed people, costing taxpayers and jeopardizing trust. The problems persist despite a lengthy period of federal oversight that has failed to bring about reform. And the city was slow in producing records that Ikonomova requested, forcing her to repeatedly re-file the requests and file an appeal challenging the delays. When the city did finally produce the profiles, they had redacted discipline older than two years, which required another appeal.
‘Deeply broken:’ How Detroit lets bad cops off the hook
