Reporters Clarissa Sosin and Daryl Khan, with support from the Fund, published a five-part investigative series in Verite that examined the inner workings of the Internal Affairs Division of the Baton Rouge Police Department – the watchdog that is supposed to police the police. What they found, after scores of interviews and examination of hundreds of documents, was an agency that often ignored or discouraged complaints of police misconduct. The series also exposed the challenges residents face if they do file a complaint. They are often discouraged or intimidated. When they do come forward, they are often turned away. The series has prompted more community involvement, including from the local NAACP chapter, and sparked further coverage by other area news organizations.
Grantee finds a culture of indifference and hostility to complaints about police misconduct in Baton Rouge; series sparks community action
