REAL-TIME CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY U.S. CAPTIONING
COMPANY
COMPANY >> WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT
DANGEROUS DOGS?
DANGEROUS DOGS? HUNDREDS OF BITES, BUT IT’S NOT
JUST A STRAY PROBLEM.
WE’LL TALK ABOUT IT.
PLUS, ARE MICHIGAN STUDENTS’
LATEST TEST SCORES A
DISAPPOINTMENT OR A STEP IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION?
RIGHT DIRECTION? TODAY IS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST,
2019 AND THIS IS FLASH POINT.
>> DEVIN: HI, WELCOME TO FLASH
POINT.
POINT. I HOPE YOUR HOLIDAY WEEKEND HAS
BEEN GOOD SO FAR AND GLAD YOU’RE
SPENDING PART OF IT WITH US.
MANY OF THE KIDS WHO HAVEN’T
HEADED BACK TO SCHOOL WILL START
THE SCHOOL YEAR AND THEY DO SO
AGAINST A NEW REPORT THAT AGAIN
LAYS BARE THE TRUTH.
IT’S NOT JUST THE USUAL
SUSPECTS, THE ENTIRE STATE HAS
BEEN LAGGING IN EDUCATION.
THE LATEST FINDING SHOWS WHILE
SCORES ARE INCHING UP.
MORE THAN HALF OF OUR THIRD
GRADE STUDENTS ARE FAILING AT
READING.
READING. A NEW LAW GOES INTO EFFECT,
THOSE WHO ARE LAGGING IN THE
SKILLS MAY FIND THEMSELVES IN
THE SAME GRADE UNTIL THEY’RE
IMPROVING.
IMPROVING. WE’LL DIG INTO THE ISSUE BEHIND
A NEWS STORY THAT HAS THE MOST
JADED AMONG US IN OUR NEWS ROOM
STILL NURSING PROFOUND SADNESS
AND CONFUSION.
AND CONFUSION. IT’S THE STORY OF EMMA
HERNANDEZ.
HERNANDEZ. NINE YEARS OLD.
OUT RIDING HER BIKE WHEN SHE WAS
ATTACKED AND KILLED BY A PAIR OF
PIT BULLDOGS.
PIT BULLDOGS. WE COVER TOO MANY STORIES ABOUT
THOSE ATTACKED BY DOGS AND MANY
PLACE THE BLAME ON THE BREED OF
PIT BULLS AND JUST AS
PREDICTABLY WE HEAR FROM THOSE
WHO SAY IT’S NOT THE BREED, IT’S
THE OWNER.
THE OWNER. IS THERE ANYTHING TO BE DONE?
THAT’S UP FIRST ON FLASH POINT.
♪
♪ IN THE CITY OF DETROIT, MORE
THAN 200 DOG BITES HAVE BEEN
REPORTED THIS YEAR.
CERTAINLY, AN UNDERCOUNT OF THE
ACTUAL TOTAL AND THEY, OF
COURSE, RUN THE GAMUT OF
EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS A LITTLE
NIP, TO THOSE THAT NEED
ATTENTION, LIKE THE HORRIFYING
ATTACK ON EMMA HERNANDEZ.
AND WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH STRAY
DOGS, BUT A PROBLEM AMONG DOGS
THAT HAVE HOMES, BUT ARE FAR TOO
DANGEROUS WHEN THEY GET LOOSE.
WHAT CAN WE DO.
CHARLIE BECKHAM RECENTLY RETIRED
AS THE NEIGHBORHOOD DIRECTOR
UNDER DETROIT’S MAYOR DUGGAN,
AND ANY JOB YOU CAN SAY THAT
CHARLIE HAS HAD, ANIMAL CONTROL.
AND FROM DETROIT DOG RESCUE AND
LEST WE THINK THIS IS JUST A
PROBLEM FROM DETROIT, RANDY
BRUCE FROM FARMINGTON HILL CITY
COUNCIL THAT HAS IN PLACE AN
ORDINANCE THAT MAKES IT HARDER
TO HAVE A DANGEROUS ANIMAL IN
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. AND CHARLIE, I JOKE HOW LONG
YOU’VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR THE
WHICH MEANS YOU’VE WATCHED THIS
PROBLEM FESTER WITHOUT
ADDRESSING MUCH IN A MEANINGFUL
WAY OVER THE YEARS, WHAT DO WE
DO?
DO? >> FIRST, DEVIN, LET ME EXPRESS
MY SYMPATHIES TO THE HERNANDEZ
FAMILY.
FAMILY. THAT’S A HORRIFIC INCIDENT THAT
HAPPENED, BUT YOU’RE RIGHT,
ANIMAL CONTROL HAS BEEN A
PROBLEM FOR A LONG PERIOD OF
TIME.
TIME. I HAD IT WHEN I WAS THE GROUP
EXEC FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF
NEIGHBORHOODS, HEALTH DEPARTMENT
WAS UNDER THAT AND ANIMAL
CONTROL WAS JUST TRANSFERRING
FROM DPD INTO THE HEALTH
DEPARTMENT.
DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE A PRETTY ROBUST
ORDINANCE FOR DOGS ON THE BOOKS
IN DETROIT.
IN DETROIT. PROBABLY MUCH LIKE FARMINGTON
HILLS, BUT IT’S NOT ENOUGH, BUT
OUR PROBLEM WAS ALWAYS THE
STAFFING AND SUPPORT TO
IMPLEMENT THAT ORDINANCE AND
ENFORCE THE ORDINANCE.
>> LIKE MANY OTHER SERVICE
ISSUES THAT THE CITY HAS SEEN
OVER THE YEARS.
>> A TERRIBLE FACILITY, TOO
SMALL, HARD TO CLEAN IN
SOUTHWEST DETROIT AND WE MOVED
THAT AND TOOK THE PLACE OF THE
MICHIGAN HUMANE SOCIETY AND TOOK
THEIR PLACE, TOO SMALL WHEN WE
MOVED IN.
MOVED IN. HAD A PROBLEM WITH RECRUITMENT
OFFICERS, NINE THEN AND 19.
AND IT WAS TOUGH TO RECRUIT THEM
BECAUSE WE DIDN’T HAVE A CAREER
PATH.
PATH. NOW YOU CAN GO FROM A TECH TO AN
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER, TO AN
INVESTIGATOR, SO THERE’S A
CAREER PATH.
CAREER PATH. WE RAISED THE RALLIES, INCREASED
THE BUDGET.
THE BUDGET. HAVING SAID ALL THAT THAT’S
STILL NOT ENOUGH, BUT WE’RE
MOVING FORWARD TO REALLY TRY TO
ADDRESS A PROBLEM IS A SERIOUS
PROBLEM IN DETROIT.
>> DEVIN: IN FACT, BY THE TIME--
DETROIT DOG RESCUE HAS DONE
EXEMPLARY WORK AND YOU’VE GOTTEN
ATTENTION FROM ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY AND ONE OF THE GROUPS
TRYING TO DO THAT.
BY THE TIME A DOG GETS TO YOU,
IT CAN BE TOO LATE, OF COURSE.
>> WE SEE A LOT OF DIFFERENT
DOGS AND TEMPERMENTS THROUGHOUT
THE CITY.
THE CITY. WE SEE GREAT DOG OWNERS WHO JUST
NEED DOG FOOD AND NEED HELP WITH
OUTREACH ASSISTANCE AND WE SEE
DANGEROUS DOGS AND CREATED A
PARTNERSHIP WITH ANIMAL CONTROL
AND JUST THE OTHER DAY WE
TICKETED SOMEBODY WITH 16
TICKETS AND HAD THEIR DOG
SURRENDERED TO US, BECAUSE IT
BROKE ITS CHAIN.
WE SEE A MULTITUDE OF THINGS IN
THE CITY AND ABSOLUTELY, ANIMAL
CONTROL HAS MADE A GREAT JUMP IN
THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
>> DEVIN: DO YOU FEEL A
DIFFERENCE?
DIFFERENCE? >> I DO FEEL A DIFFERENCE, BUT
WE STILL NEED HELP.
WE’RE LOOKING FOR A VETERINARIAN
IN THE CITY, AN ANIMAL CONTROL
DIRECTOR.
DIRECTOR. BOTH ARE UP ON THE CITY
GOVERNMENT WEBSITES.
GOVERNMENT WEBSITES. WE’RE DESPERATELY LOOKING FOR
THOSE POSITIONS.
THOSE POSITIONS. >> TRYING TO RECRUIT KATRINA.
[LAUGHTER]
[LAUGHTER] >> WHAT IS THE BIGGER PROBLEM,
DO YOU THINK?
IS IT THE PEOPLE WHO MAYBE DON’T
KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DEALING WITH
WITH THE KIND OF DOG THEY HAVE?
A LOT OF THESE DOGS ARE MULTIPLE
TIMES RESCUED.
TIMES RESCUED. OR IS IT THE MORE MENACEING
THING, WE HAVE DOGS WE TRAIN TO
BE MENACING PREDATORS?
>> BOTH.
>> BOTH. WE HAVE SOME STRONG DOGS IN THE
CITY OF DETROIT.
THAT’S POPULAR, BIG SMUSHY
FACED, SHORT-COATED DOGS AND
THEY’VE BEEN TRAINED--
I DON’T WANT TO SAY TRAINED.
A LOT OF THEM ARE CHAINED UP 24
HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK,
WITH A 18-INCH DOG CHAIN AND
SENSORY DEPRIVED.
SENSORY DEPRIVED. AND WHEN THAT PERSON LEAVES THEM
BEHIND AND THEY DIG OUT AND THEY
WILL BITE.
WILL BITE. WE HAVE AN ISSUE NOT WITH THE
BREED OF DOGS, OR THE SIZE OF
THE DOG, HOW DOGS ARE TREATED IN
THE CITY OF DETROIT.
WE HAVE A CITY WHERE PEOPLE DO,
THEY LOVE DOGS.
WE HAVE A LOT PET STORES AND
PEOPLE WHO LOVE DOGS, BUT WE
NEED TO LOOK AT HOW WE’RE
TREATING THE DOGS.
>> WE’LL GET BACK TO THE
QUESTION OF BREEDS.
I WANT TO GET BACK TO FARMINGTON
HILLS BECAUSE YOU HAD A BAD
THING HAPPENED WHERE A DOG
ATTACKED ANOTHER DOG AND YOU DID
SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
EXPLAIN THE WAY IT WENT THROUGH
IN FARMINGTON HILLS.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. WHEN WE SAW THERE WAS A COUPLE
OF DOG ATTACKS AND THEN SOME
PEOPLE WERE BITTEN BY DOGS, WE
REALIZED, THE POLICE DIDN’T HAVE
THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEEDED TO
REALLY SUCCESSFULLY MANAGE THE
PROBLEMS.
PROBLEMS. >> THEY DIDN’T HAVE A LAW
ORDINANCE IN FORCE.
>> THEY COULDN’T TAKE THE DOG
AND DO THAT TYPE OF THING.
WE PASSED THROUGH AN ORDINANCE
THAT’S COMPREHENSIVE.
THAT’S COMPREHENSIVE. IT’S NOT BREED SPECIFIC, BUT
IT’S GEARED TOWARDS DANGEROUS
ANIMALS AND IDENTIFIED THE
ANIMALS AS BEING EITHER
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS OR
DANGEROUS AND THERE’S DIFFERENT
THINGS FOR EACH LEVEL OF DOG.
WHAT THE OWNER HAS TO DO.
SO IT PUTS THE ONUS ON THE OWNER
TO CONTROL WHAT IS A DEADLY
WEAPON.
WEAPON. WHAT THE DOGS TURN INTO.
>> DEVIN: AS WE’VE SEEN.
>> SO IF SOMEBODY HAS A
DANGEROUS DOG, THEY CAN APPEAL
THAT TO A PANEL MADE UP BY THE
POLICE CHIEF, FIRE CHIEF, ANIMAL
BEHAVIORIST.
BEHAVIORIST. BUT IF IT’S HELD THAT IT’S A
DANGEROUS ANIMAL.
DANGEROUS ANIMAL. THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN CERTAIN
ENCLOSURES, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A
MILLION DOLLAR INSURANCE POLICY.
>> DEVIN: THAT’S GOING TO KNOCK
A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT OF THE
ABILITY TO DO IT.
>> THAT’S OKAY.
IF THEY WANT TO KEEP A DANGEROUS
ANIMAL, IT’S JUST LIKE ANY OTHER
DEADLY WEAPON.
DEADLY WEAPON. THERE HAS TO BE A LEVEL OF
PROTECTION.
PROTECTION. >> HAS IT WORKED?
└> YES, WE’VE SEEN AN INCREASE
IN DOG ATTACKS AND DOG BITES AND
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ATTRACTION
EVERY YEAR.
EVERY YEAR. WE’RE IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM,
WHICH IS GREAT.
AND POLICE NOW HAVE MORE TOOLS
IN WHICH THEY CAN RESPOND TO
THIS ISSUE.
THIS ISSUE. >> DEVIN: I WANT TO GET BACK TO
THE ISSUE OF BREEDS BECAUSE OF
COURSE THE MOST NOTORIOUS CASES
INVOLVE PIT BULLS AND PIT BULL
MIXES.
MIXES. PEOPLE SAY ALL DOGS FIGHT.
>> THAT’S TRUE.
IF A COCKER SPANIEL BITES ME I
MIGHT HAVE TO HAVE A BANDAID.
IF A PIT BULL BITES, YOU MAY
LOSE A LIMB, AND WHY IS IT BREED
SPECIFIC?
SPECIFIC? >> A LOT OF BIG DOGS THAT CAN DO
A LOT OF DAMAGE.
A PIT BULL IS AN UMBRELLA TERM.
THERE ARE A LOT OF BREEDS FROM
YOUR MASTIFS, AMERICAN BULL DOG
AND LABRADOR MIXES WITH PIT
BULLS.
BULLS. >> DEVIN: HOW WOULD WE EVER
FERRET OUT.
FERRET OUT. >> IT’S GOING TO GET WAY TOO
TECHNICAL, IS THAT A PIT BULL?
IS YOUR AGGRESSIVE MASSTIF OR
BORDEAUX.
BORDEAUX. A DANGEROUS ANIMAL, DO YOU HAVE
ANY DANGEROUS ANIMALS.
I KNOW THAT THEY’VE PULLED
ALLIGATORS OUT OF HOUSES WHICH
ARE OBVIOUSLY ILLEGAL, BUT IT’S
NOT JUST A DOG ISSUE.
WHAT KIND OF DANGEROUS ANIMAL
ARE PEOPLE HARBORING?
>> AND DETROIT’S ORDINANCE, VERY
SIMILAR TO FARMINGTON HILLS.
IT DEFINES ALL OF THE THINGS.
THERE’S A WHOLE LIST OF
DEFINITIONS, BUT SOMEBODY HAS TO
DETERMINE WHAT THAT IS AND WHO
FITS INTO THAT DEFINITION.
>> AND THE POWER TO ENFORCE.
>> THE DIRECTOR OF THE ANIMAL
CONTROL MAKES THAT
DETERMINATION.
DETERMINATION. THE CHALLENGE HAS BEEN IT’S HARD
FOR US TO KEEP A DIRECTOR.
THESE ARE TOUGH JOBS.
>> IN OUR CITY IT COULD BE A
POLICE OFFICER WHO MAKES THAT
DETERMINATION.
DETERMINATION. WE DIDN’T PUT THAT POWER IN ONE
PERSON.
PERSON. ANYBODY IN AN AUTHORITY POSITION
CAN DECLARE THAT A DANGEROUS
ANIMAL AND THEN THE OWNER CAN
APPEAL IT SO THAT WAY THE
RESPONSE IS MUCH FASTER.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
>> AND YOU CAN START DOING
SOMETHING.
SOMETHING. >> AND GO INTO THE STEPS WITH
THE CORRECTION STEPS WITHIN THE
ORDINANCE TO GET THAT.
>> AND IT WON’T COME AS A
SURPRISE TO FIND THAT FARMINGTON
HILLS, I WOULD IMAGINE IS FULLY
STAFFED TO BE ABLE TO ENFORCE
ITS OWN--
ITS OWN-- >> YEAH, WHICH IS A PROBLEM
HERE.
HERE. >> AND I WILL SAY, WE HAVE SOME
OF THE BEST--
I’VE WORKED WITH A LOT OF ANIMAL
CONTROL OFFICERS.
CONTROL OFFICERS. WE HAVE SOME OF THE BEST
EDUCATED OFFICERS ON THE STREET
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. WHEN MELISSA MILLER WAS HANDLING
ANIMAL CONTROL SHE PUT A LOT
INTO EDUCATING SOME OF THE
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS THAT
HAVE STAYED SO THEY KNOW HOW TO
DIFFERENTIATE A DANGEROUS DOG
FROM A DOG THAT’S HAVING A BAD
DAY.
DAY. >> YOU TOLD ME EARLIER, EVERY
DAY YOU ALL PICK UP A DOG THAT
IS BEYOND HELP.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. DETROIT DOG RESCUE IS THE ONLY
NO-KILL SHELTER.
NO-KILL SHELTER. PEOPLE SAY YOU DON’T EUTHANIZE
ANYTHING, BUT I HAVE AN
OBLIGATION, WHAT NO-KILL MEANS
IS THAT WE RESCUE AND REHAB AT
LEAST 90% OF THE ANIMALS THAT
COME THROUGH OUR DOOR AND WE PUT
EVERYTHING INTO IT.
WE HAVE A DECOMPRESSION PROCESS
AND REHABILITATION PROCESS.
BUT I HAVE AN ETHICAL
RESPONSIBILITY NOT TO PLACE
DANGEROUS DOGS OUT TO THE
PUBLIC.
PUBLIC. WE’VE SEEN--
WE’VE SEEN-- WE SEE THE WORST OF THE WORSE
AND WE WORK SIDE BY SIDE WITH
ANIMAL CONTROL AND THE STATE
POLICE.
POLICE. WE DID A RAID AND A DOG WAS FED
GUN POWDER AND COCAINE TO ACT
THAT WAY.
THAT WAY. THIS WAS NOT SAMSON’S FAULT, BUT
ETHICALLY I CANNOT PUT THAT IN
PLACE.
PLACE. EVERY DAY DOGS ARE ABUSED
SENSORY DEPRIVED AND IT’S
EXTREMELY SAD.
EXTREMELY SAD. WITH ORDINANCES PUT INTO PLACE,
I THINK THAT WOULD HELP SO MUCH.
>> DEVIN: YOU’RE NOT A LAWYER,
BUT THE DOGS THAT WERE--
THAT KILLED EMMA HERNANDEZ.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> DEVIN: THE OWNER IS NOW HELD
ON MURDER CHARGES.
>> SERIOUS CHARGES.
>> DEVIN: WITH A $2 MILLION BOND
HE CAN’T POSSIBLY MAKE.
IS THAT--
IS THAT-- DOES THAT CHANGE ANYTHING IF YOU
CAN KIND OF DO WHAT KYM WORTHY
IS DOING, CLEARLY TRYING TO MAKE
AN EXAMPLE?
AN EXAMPLE? >> I HOPE IT DELIVERS A MESSAGE
OUT THERE.
OUT THERE. AS KATRINA SAYS, THIS IS SUCH A
HUGE PROBLEM.
HUGE PROBLEM. I DON’T KNOW THAT THAT ONE
INCIDENT IS GOING TO SOLVE IT,
BUT AT LEAST GET IT BACK ON THE
RADAR SCREEN.
RADAR SCREEN. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT IN THE
GREEN ROOM.
GREEN ROOM. THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE
DISCUSSION AND IT’S A BIGGER
PROBLEM THAN PEOPLE CAN IMAGINE.
YOU TALK ABOUT EUTHANIZIZATION.
WE GOT ACCUSED OF THAT ALL THE
TIME IN THE DAYS WHEN WE DIDN’T
HAVE ENOUGH SPACE SO NOT ENOUGH
SPACE WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM,
BUT WE KNEW THERE WERE DOGS, AS
KATRINA SAYS, SHOULD BE PUT DOWN
AND GOING TO FIGHT YOU ON THAT.
>> DEVIN: IN COMMUNITIES YOU’VE
DEALT WITH THAT AND THOSE ARE
DOGS IT SEEMS -- THAT HAVE BEEN
TRAINED TO DO THAT.
>> THEY SHOULD NOT BE OUT IN THE
PUBLIC.
PUBLIC. >> DEVIN: HOW OFTEN DO YOU FIGHT
WITH OWNERS WHO THINK THEY’RE
TREATED UNFAIRLY AND THEIR
RIGHTS ARE TRAMPLED ON.
>> I THINK WE HAVE THREE, FOUR,
FIVE HEARINGS IN A YEAR, AND
PEOPLE APPEALING THE RULING.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE HAPPY THAT
WE’RE PROTECTING THEM, THEY CAN
WALK THE STREET AND NOT
NECESSARILY ATTACK BY SOMEBODY’S
DOG WHO IS NOT CONTROLLED.
WE HAVE A LOT OF ANIMAL LOVERS
IN FARMINGTON HILLS, BUT THEY
DON’T WANT TO BE ATTACKED AND
THEY WANT TO SEE DOGS CARED FOR,
BUT THEY DON’T WANT TO SEE THESE
DANGEROUS ANIMALS THAT CAN
WANDER AROUND AND HURT PEOPLE.
>> LET’S FINISH BY MAKING YOUR
PITCH HERE FOR RESPONSIBLE DOG
OWENSHIP.
OWENSHIP. >> IT’S NOT JUST THE DOG’S PAFS
THAT YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER.
THERE WERE FIGHTING DOGS, THAT
WERE USED AS BAIT DOGS AND
CONSIDER EACH CASE.
WHAT IT’S GOING TO BOIL DOWN TO,
IT’S GOING TO TAKE AN ANIMAL
WELFARE COMMITTEE LIKE WE HAVE
UP HERE, PEOPLE WHO LOVE ANIMALS
AND THERE’S GOT TO BE A
COMPROMISE THERE.
COMPROMISE THERE. I’M GOING TO REACH OUT TO THE
MAYOR AND WE NEED SOME
SOLUTIONS.
SOLUTIONS. WE ALL KNOW THE PROBLEM.
I THINK GIVEN YOU SOMETHING TO
TALK ABOUT.
TALK ABOUT. >> DEVIN: WE’LL PROVIDE YOU WITH
A FLASH DRIVE OF THIS
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. >> IT HAPPENED HERE.
>> DEVIN: ON FLASH POINT.
THE CONVERSATION ON WHAT’S GOING
ON WITH THE LATEST TEST SCORES