I'm not from the St. Louis area, but I lived for several years in Gainesville, Florida where the University of Florida is located. I would frequently drive places north and the quickest way to get there is on US 301. Just north of Gainesville are the towns of, in order, Waldo, Hampton, Starke, and Lawtey. This stretch of road is known by AAA as the most notorious stretch of speed traps in the U.S. They target students and Gator fans (and there are a lot!) driving to and from Gainesville.
Waldo just disbanded their police force: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-town-infamous-for-speed-traps-disbanding-police-force/
The State of Florida investigated the entire city government of Hampton for corruption: http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/09/us/hampton-florida-corruption/ and http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/11/us/need-for-speeders-puts-tiny-florida-city-on-brink-of-erasure.html but only after a state representative was pulled over and ticketed. Their police force was also decommissioned.
I started driving this stretch of 301 in 1992 and these towns were like this back then. Some time after 1996, AAA put up billboards outside Lawtey and Waldo http://autoclubsouth.aaa.com/Assets/images/Safety/SpeedTrap_Waldo.jpg to warn drivers. Waldo responded with its own billboard denying it was a speed trap.
Note that neither the Gainesville Sun or the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville "broke" this story. This was just how things were. Drivers accepted it and the police and municipal governments were able to get away with it. I accepted it too, because it seemed there was no one to complain to that could do anything about it, so I absolutely understand the culture in a region making people accept what should not be.
Furthermore, while I lived in Gainesville (long after I turned 21), I became aware that underage students can order drinks in bars without being ID'd. But Gainesville PD sweep the bars and issue arrest citations for anyone underage holding a cup or sitting at a table with alcohol. Anywhere else the police force would be targeting the bars for compliance with underage drinking laws. Instead, Gainesville PD tickets dozens of students per weekend while classes are in session.
Your point about the demise of investigative journalism is well taken, and I agree there is a definite void in the press. YouTube and citizen reporting can only go so far. Newspapers have (or did have) reputations for good reporting for good reasons. I don't know what's going to take the place of investigative journalism in newspapers, but something must.
