The Post and Courier's "Watched" series chronicling police surveillance tactics has won the grand prize for work advancing the principles of the First Amendment in thethe 2017 Associated Press Media Editors Awards.

The three-part series by reporters Glenn Smith and Andrew Knapp was among the top honorees in the annual APME Awards, which recognizes watchdog journalism that saved lives, exposed bias, held government officials accountable and shed light on hidden practices. Winners will be recognized at an October conference in Washington, D.C.

"Watched" detailed how police forces across the United States are stockpiling massive databases with personal information from millions of Americans who simply crossed paths with officers. The series explored the pervasive but little-known police practice of gathering data from "suspicious" citizens in the absence of an arrest. That data can be stored indefinitely and used to track a persons movements and habits over time.

Critics contend the practice can intrude on privacy and keep innocent people under a permanent cloud of suspicion.

APME judges noted the series "produced results in Charleston, where the police chief announced an initiative to purge innocent people from the departments database, and won praise from civil libertarians and police alike for shedding light on surveillance techniques often hidden from public view."

"Watched" had previously won a National Headliner Award and took first-place honors for investigative and public service reporting in the South Carolina Press Association Awards.

Reach Glenn Smith at 843-937-5556 or follow him on Twitter @glennsmith5.

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Post and Courier wins prestigious APME First Amendment award for series on police tracking methods - Charleston Post Courier