Coursing Ban and Aunt Velma's Rabbit Pie

Nearly three months since the I-Team videotaped greyhounds racing to catch and kill jackrabbits in a Solano County farm field, the Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance banning the blood sport today. The move adds fuel to a state-wide ban now making its way through the California Legislature. AB 2110 will be heard before the Assembly Appropriations Committee May 10th.

One of the finer points to today’s story – we found out that the field where we videotaped the races is actually within the city limits of Vacaville, so today’s ban by the county doesn’t apply to that field. Before you dress your dogs in their racing jackets, we tracked down the owner of the field – Triad Development. A Triad vice president tells us they had no idea the rabbit coursers were using their property: “We’re beyond outraged.” The company has put up new fencing and signs to keep the coursers out. The vice president says if he knew they were out there the day we took those pictures, he would have called the police.

The Vacaville City Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting the state-wide ban on Open Field Coursing last month. Here's a copy.

By the way, I’ve tried to contact the Secretary of the National Open Field Coursing Association several times since we began investigating, and there she was at the hearing today. Sally Barron didn’t feel like speaking after the vote; she told me to drop dead. But, another coursing supporter was more cordial and gave me the recipe for “Aunt Velma’s Rabbit Pie”.

This job is always entertaining.

I want to emphasize one point we've made before. This is spurred by an e-mail I received late last night from Tehila and Saul of Los Altos: "We have rescued 3 Greyhounds, all lovable. Our dog is a therapy dog (not a killer). He visits cancer patients and brings joy to anybody that has contact with him. Although you meant well in exposing Greyhound coursing, we're afraid that many of your viewers came away with the impression that all Greyhounds are like this (we don't know any)."

The National Open Field Coursing Association has twelve clubs up and down the state. They feature many types of dogs, including Greyhounds, Whippets, Irish Wolfhounds, Borzoi and Salukis. It was just happenstance that the dogs we filmed that day were Greyhounds. I can tell you from personal experience they are gentle, affectionate pets.

Open Field Coursing Update

Tomorrow morning, the Solano County Board of Supervisors takes up a measure to ban open field coursing. That’s the county where the I-Team videotaped greyhounds racing to catch and kill jackrabbits. Coursing is an ancient sport, but it came as a surprise to most of our viewers that it’s still underway in Northern California. You can see our original investigation and the follow-up reports on the I-Team page. And, it’s not just greyhounds – clubs featuring many types of dogs sponsor these events up and down the state.

You can read the ordinance under consideration by the Solano County Supervisors here and the supporting documentation here.

We’ll be there tomorrow in Solano County, and will tell you what happens on ABC 7 News at 6pm. The Solano ordinance mirrors a state ban now making its way through the California Assembly. The Appropriations Committee takes it up May 10th. We’ll let you know what happens there as well.

Muslim Teen Cleared of Hit & Run

If you watch ABC 7 or check this website for I-Team stories, you saw last week that a Yolo County judge dismissed hit and run charges against a teenager from Davis. Her family believes they were targeted because they’re Muslim. There were problems with the case from the beginning. The girl’s mother told police she was driving at the time. Witnesses did not see a collision; they just reported seeing the family’s SUV near the damaged sedan. Damage to the two vehicles didn’t seem to match even to this untrained eye; a defense expert concluded the accident never happened. The sedan’s owner didn’t want to press charges because the family paid her $870 repair bill.

The judge dismissed the case Monday, and three days later, the Sacramento Bee ran an editorial which sums up the issues quite well. It reads, in part, “District attorneys, like police, exercise enormous discretion. They can decide whom to charge, when to charge and, equally important, when not to charge. In the controversial case of a Davis teenager allegedly involved in a minor fender bender in a supermarket parking lot, Yolo County District Attorney Dave Henderson's exercise of discretion has raised serious concerns.”

There’s one other site you may want to check out. The man at the center of this controversy, Officer Pheng Ly, never commented for our reports. But, he’s launched a new website to show “The Real Pheng Ly”. He never addresses the case specifically, but you wouldn’t expect him to with a civil rights lawsuit on the way.

“Free the I-Team”

I’m looking at a letter I received today from the Monterey Police Department, saying the District Attorney has declined to file charges against me. When I told our I-Team producer, she frowned and said she was disappointed because she wanted to order “Free Dan Noyes” t-shirts. This is just the latest chapter in a very contentious ten months with the San Francisco Mayor’s Office and the Office of Emergency Services. Here’s the back story.

We aired an investigation this week on the 100-year anniversary of the great quake, revealing that San Francisco disaster officials have not completed their emergency plan for handling an earthquake. Hard to believe, considering the federal government’s dumped $84 million into San Francisco for disaster planning since 2001 … and that Mayor Newsom and OES Director Annemarie Conroy told us in September that all disaster plans would be finished by the end of last year.

We tried for several weeks to speak with Conroy for the story, but she refused to be interviewed. And, her staff was not very forthcoming with information and documents that should be available under the California Public Records Act. So, as a last resort, we went to Monterey where Conroy is attending the Naval Postgraduate School part-time for disaster management training – she has no previous experience, and caught up to her in a hotel parking lot. Conroy did answer some of our questions, and we included clips in our report. But, after that interview, Conroy called the Monterey Police and filed a report, claiming I “disturbed her peace”. Again, hard to believe. She’s a public official and she sees a reporter’s questions on an issue of great public importance as “disturbing her peace”. Conroy filed the police report March 8, and today, we found out no charges will be filed. We weren’t surprised.

We also had a similarly contentious meeting with Mayor Newsom. He has a standing order now that he won’t sit down for interviews with us, even though that would provide the best chance for a thoughtful discussion of these important issues. We have to catch up to him at public events and try to catch a few quick answers before he walks away. Our conversation Monday night was unusually heated, and we thought it was important for you to see the entire interview, so we’ve streamed it.

In the dozens of e-mail and phone calls we’ve received about the story, just a few criticized us for being too aggressive in our approach. These two e-mails are the only negative ones.

Mr. Woo of San Francisco writes, “Saw your Raw Video with the Mayor re: emergency preparedness for San Francisco. You as a Reporter still do not know how to listen, The Mayor repeated four times to you, listen, so he can give you an answer, but you have to keep on talking, you have to have the last say to everything. The Mayor was right for the first time! You are a JERK!!! When are you going to listen and respect people, even if you don't get the correct answer? You are an investigative reporter, if you don't get an answer, investigate it some more. Maybe OES Director is not well liked by her people, maybe OES Director is just like you, don't know when to listen, and always have to have the last word. GOD HELP US ALL!”

If you watch the raw video, the mayor did not directly address the question I asked about the earthquake plan being incomplete. It was clear to me I had little time with him, so I had to press Newsom to address the issue. You’re seeing sausage being made, but at the very end – yes, after calling me a jerk, he finally answered the question directly.

Zac from Bodega Bay somewhat agrees with Mr. Woo: “After just watching your report on San Francisco's emergency preparedness, I feel though, despite being a worthwhile and timely story, your approach towards Newsom and his staff was unnecessarily aggressive. San Francisco is a city with some enormous challenges in case of an emergency, and it appears that the city is making a concerted effort of getting a reasonable plan together. Give Newsom and others a break. They are miles ahead of our Federal government, as we saw in the case of Katrina. Please continue to follow this issue, but don't do sensationalist stuff like this again. There's no need to feed the fear and dissent. All the best, Zac.”

I would argue it’s better to have an accurate picture of the city’s emergency planning. There was nothing sensational about the report; just the facts. Most other viewers feel the same way.

Robert from San Francisco writes: “Please continue your outstanding efforts to report on the OES and Director Conroy. It is beyond egregious that our OES is completely unable to provide the necessary information or leadership required of this mission-critical position. I look forward to more follow-up on this story.”

Frank, San Francisco: “What can I do to get Newsom and Conroy off their duffs? This whole thing smells of cronyism. I want someone in that job that knows what they're doing!!!”

Bill, San Francisco: “Congratulations and thank you for your report on the situation at the S.F. Office of Emergency Services, and specifically the Director Annemarie Conroy. How can our mayor have such an inept and secretive person in such an important role? She acts like those politicians in Washington who have something to hide and cover up their ineptitude with double talk and evasive answers. How did she ever get this job????, who did or does she know????. After watching your report last night, I was upset that we citizens of San Francisco are relying on our government to prepare us for any type of disaster, and that a glaring mistake has been made in having Ms. Conroy in this important position. I hope that you and your staff will keep the pressure on this issue and bring about a change. I feel that your reporting and investigations are in the truest sense of what the media was intended to be, to report on what is really going on in any area that affects the people of this great city, please keep it up. And once again thank you.”

Marian from San Francisco writes, “Your pursuit of the true quake readiness in SF is truly heroic, (especially the chasing down of AM Conroy, tee hee).”

John, San Francisco: “Thank you for the I-Team investigation into our Earthquake Preparedness here in S.F., which I fear may be seriously lacking. … I was deeply shocked by your report this evening that Anne Marie Conroy and the Mayor had been dodging your questions. If they could not be prepared to answer these deadly serious questions for this major, highly predictable civic event of the Earthquake Centenary, what else are they not prepared for in the event of a major natural disaster ???”

Debbie, city undisclosed: “I have watched for a long time the rudeness that city hall shows toward Dan Noyes. Then today, there it was again. I can't believe the disrespect that they show him. I just want you to know that their rudeness just shows how immature they are. They really need to grow up, and answer everyone's questions. I have e-mailed the mayor, not that it will do any good. Dan, please keep up the good work.”

Norm, San Francisco: “Glad to see your continued efforts to get answers to some of the most important questions the city faces, especially today, April 18. I encourage you to probe for these answers in spite of what sounds like a wall of resistance. While I have the highest regard for and faith in our elected leaders, fire, police, DPW and other departments that will face the test during a major disaster, I eagerly await similar assurances that OES is up to the task. No city can be 100% prepared for the level of potential disaster experts predict, and therefore preparations and plans are always going to be a work in progress. But we need to know that the disaster strategies and organization that OES is responsible for are the very best they can be. Anything less will make what promises to be an unprecedented urban disaster even worse.”

Doug, San Francisco: “Thank you to all of those involved with the I-Team for broadcasting your story tonight on the shameful lack of disaster preparedness within our city. I further applaud you for putting the raw footage of your attempt to interview Mayor Newsom on your website. It is most disappointing that our mayor has failed to understand from historical figures like Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew that attacking a legitimate, inquiring press to cover up inadequacies and failures in one’s administration is shallow, dangerous, deceitful, and dishonest. Please continue to push for honest assessments by those who govern us along with the dissemination of accurate information to the public. … By making the raw footage of last night’s interview available, you might make our mayor more aware of his character traits that are ugly and unfit for a public servant. Certainly, the public has a right to know about this unseemly and undesirable side of our mayor.”

I appreciate the feedback from both sides.

The Davis P.D.

We’re back in rainy Davis following up on the arrest of a Muslim teenager, a sixteen-year-old honor student, in a minor fender bender.  Her family is accusing the Davis police of racial discrimination.  The Davis City Council meets this evening.  The Halema Buzayan case is not on the agenda, but local civil rights activists expect 200 protestors to appear at the meeting.  We’ll be there and, if something interesting happens, we’ll bring you the story tonight at 11pm.  We’re also investigating another questionable arrest by the same officer; that airs this Sunday on ABC 7 News at 11pm.

A couple of notes on yesterday’s story:  we highlighted a report from a mechanical engineer hired by the defense that said the accident never happened, that the damage on the two vehicles did not match.  The family paid $870 for repairs to the sedan’s owner, based largely on Davis Police Officer Pheng Ly’s assertion that the damage on the two vehicles matched.  Now that the report says the damage doesn’t match, I asked Jamal Buzayan, Halema’s father, if he wanted his money back.  He says he doesn’t – that he blames the police for the misunderstanding, and doesn’t want to cause the sedan’s owner any problems.  You’ll recall from our previous stories that the sedan’s owner is upset the authorities are pursing the case in her name.  She says the investigation should have ended once she received the check.

We are having great difficulty getting any official from Davis – the Chief of Police, City Council members, the City Attorney, the City Manager – to comment on the Buzayan case or this new story we’re investigating.  A former mayor of Davis says they’re circling the wagons, and that they aren’t used to answering tough questions from reporters.  It will be interesting to see the reception we get tonight at the City Council meeting.

Rabbit Coursing Ban

          The Anti-Coursing Bill, AB 2110, passed the California Assembly’s Public Safety Committee this week.  We’ve received the most response on this topic than any other I-Team investigation, and the e-mails continue to come in -- from around the Bay Area, across the country, Canada, England and Spain.

          Jan from Sebastopol represents the majority of e-mailers who favor the ban: “Thank you for exposing this sickening and cruel sport to the public.  I am a wildlife rehabilitator for over 12 years.  I rehabilitated & released the black tailed hare and small wild cottontail.  Many fields have no more of these special critters.  This must be stopped.  How sick and cruel many are.  Have we evolved?  I am speechless just knowing this happens to the black tailed hair who is very intelligent and special.  Again, thanks for the help in perhaps getting this stopped.”

          Lanette from Antioch writes, “My whole family was very upset and hope that legislation is passed to stop this barbaric action.  I would like to see the names of those politicians who voted for it -- hopefully they will not be re-elected.”

          The Anti-Coursing Bill passed 4-3.  The bill’s sponsor, Loni Hancock D-Berkeley, Committee Chair Mark Leno D-San Francisco, Jackie Goldberg D-Los Angeles, and Mervyn Dymally D-South Los Angeles voted for it.  Rebecca Cohn D-San Jose, Jay LaSuer R-San Diego, and Todd Spitzer R-Orange County voted against it.  By the way, the Committee's Analyses of the issue provides a lot of good background on the topic.  Next stop is the Assembly Appropriations Committee, about a month away.  If you feel strongly about this issue – no matter what side you’re on – you should contact your representative in Sacramento.  You can find the e-mail addresses for all of these legislators on the Taking Action page on our website, abc7news.com.

          We received far fewer e-mail from people who were unhappy with our investigation into open field coursing and the vote this week.  Michael from San Jose writes, “We already have laws governing this issue. Leave them alone. This state is becoming sickenly ‘leftist’”.  Here’s Mary from “Kalifornia where AR Terrorists count more than voters” (she actually lives in L.A.):  “You fools! Thanks to you, tax-payers can be arrested for the felony of killing varmints in their backyard gardens. Idiots!!!”  That’s an argument that many of the ban’s opposition make, but it’s not accurate.  The California Farm Bureau helped refine the bill’s language.  As now written, no one would be arrested if a pet catches a rabbit in their backyard, and the measure would not prohibit farmers from using dogs for pest control.  This is the new language: “For the purposes of this section ‘live field coursing’ is a competition in which dogs are, by the use of live rabbits, hares, or foxes, assessed as to skill in hunting live rabbits, hares, or foxes.”  The authorities would only prosecute people for holding a competition in which dogs race to catch and kill jackrabbits or other small game.  And, it would not be a felony, as Mary claims.  AB 2110 would make open field coursing a misdemeanor crime punishable by up to 6 months in jail, as much as $1,000 in fines, or both.

          We’ll keep track of the bill’s progress in Sacramento, and keep you posted here and on the air.