Full Disclosure

The relationship between citizens and law enforcement should be rooted in trust. And as the United States grapples with ongoing calls for police reform, questions of trust cannot be uncoupled from discussions on transparency and accountability, two issues that are at the heart of “Full Disclosure.” Digging into Arizona’s “Brady list,” a system designed to track police officers with histories of lying and committing crimes in hopes of keeping various departments accountable, this hour-long special offers a stark portrait not only of why the system is broken, but why it’s never been fixed. The team at ABC15, led by Dave Biscobing, presented the findings of their yearlong investigation with exhaustive reporting, combing through endless files on cops who got bounced from department to department, and showing how it affected cases all over the state. The stories in themselves—of planted evidence and unwarranted violence and cruelty, of information withheld and outright obfuscated—may be incredible enough. But the video footage that accompanies them, the careful laying out of how law enforcement agencies rarely adhere to their own legal standards in keeping and disseminating such misconduct reports is as damning as it is enlightening. For exemplifying how committed local journalism can effectively serve its viewers and push for greater accountability from those in power, “Full Disclosure” wins a Peabody Award.