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Claire Trageser
Investigative Reporter
Claire Trageser is an investigative reporter and has worked at KPBS since 2012. She is part of the KPBS Investigations Desk and writes and produces in depth coverage for radio, television, and the web on a variety of topics.
Claire finds stories that are not part of a specific beat, including reporting and producing the six-part in depth radio, TV, and podcast series Dr J's. She has won the San Diego Society of Professional Journalists' Diversity Prize two years in a row for coverage of emerging leaders in San Diego's lower income communities and the tension between two neighborhoods that share a common boundary. Claire has uncovered stories of sexual harassment, mismanagement of water bills, lack of oversight at animal shelters, and was part of the team that covered allegations of sexual harassment against former Mayor Bob Filner. She also regularly battles public agencies for access to their records.
Claire studied chemistry at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. She then earned a master's degree in journalism at UC Berkeley, where she worked at the Knight Digital Media Center and completed a master's project with Michael Pollan.
Recent Stories by Claire Trageser
Police Video Shows One Officer Fatally Shooting El Cerrito Man While Partner Uses Taser
- Oct. 9
- By Claire Trageser
In late August, a 52-year-old man holding a shovel charged at officers. One of the officers shot and killed the man, while the other fired only his taser, according to a department spokesman.
Sheriff's Deputy Assault Victims Say Plea Deal Is Not Justice Served
- Sept. 19
- By Claire Trageser
Fischer was initially charged with 20 criminal counts that included assault, burglary, forcing oral sex and sexual battery. But his plea deal with the DA did not include the two sex crime charges he faced.
San Diego Teens Share Their Views On Climate Change
- Sept. 16
- By Claire Trageser
This week media organizations across the world, including KPBS, are telling stories about people directly impacted by a changing climate. And that is especially true of the younger generation.
San Diego's Climate Crisis: The Risks And Costs Of Living In The Backcountry
- Sept. 16
- By Claire Trageser
Higher temperatures caused by climate change mean California’s all-important snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains is smaller and melts faster than it did in the past. As a result, forests are dryer for longer and more prone to wildfire.
Ex-Deputy Richard Fischer Pleads Guilty In Sexual Assault Trial
- Sept. 9
- By Claire Trageser
Richard Timothy Fischer pleaded guilty to four counts of assault and battery by an officer, two counts of misdemeanor assault by an officer and one count of misdemeanor false imprisonment.
New Report Details Nearly a Quarter Century of Police Shootings
- Aug. 19
- By Claire Trageser
The report by the San Diego District Attorney's Office found that 40% of the shootings involved a white officer and a non-white suspect.
Records: SDPD Officer Accused Of Sexual Assault Resigned And Never Charged
- Aug. 15
- By Claire Trageser
The records, which relate to allegations that a San Diego Police officer sexually assaulted a woman in his custody in 2013, raise questions as to why he was never charged with a crime.
A Mother Rides A Rollercoaster Of Hope While Her Son Sits In Jail
- Aug. 9
- By Claire Trageser
Shawn Khalifa was sentenced for murder even though he was outside when his friends broke into a Riverside County home and killed a 77-year-old man. A new law could reduce his sentence — but that law is being challenged.
Hundreds In San Diego Hoping For Reduced Sentences For Murders They Didn't Commit
- Aug. 8
- By Claire Trageser
This year, California became one of the few states in the country to pass legislation limiting felony murder convictions. But the law change has powerful opponents who are challenging it in court.
Details Of Midway Police Shooting Remain Under Wraps Despite Transparency Law
- July 15
- By Claire Trageser
A new state law aimed at opening up police investigations is not helping in the case of an officer killing a man armed only with a pen.