CRIME STATISTIC CONTROVERSY

The campus's crime statistics were an object of contention and controversy this fall, as UC Davis defended its reporting practices against allegations in, first, a Sacramento Bee newspaper article and, then, in an anonymous letter alleging police department mismanagement.

The two-part Bee article, which was published just as the campus was releasing an expanded report of crime statistics in compliance with the Clery Act, claimed that UC Davis intentionally misrepresents the number of sex crimes that occur on the campus. The allegation was strongly denied by campus administrators who responded with a nine-page letter to the paper detailing inaccuracies and omissions in the Bee stories and requesting a retraction. The campus also requested that the Department of Education make a site visit to review its reporting practices and provide advice and assistance.

At issue was the campus's compliance with the federal Clery Act, which requires colleges and universities to report statistics for specified crimes verified to have occurred in defined locations on and near campuses. Campuses have acknowledged a great deal of confusion surrounding the act, which has undergone a number of amendments since its creation in 1990 after the rape and murder of Lehigh University student Jeanne Clery in her dorm room. A recent amendment requires that campuses report serious offenses against persons and property occurring both on campus and on property adjacent to the campus or owned by the university or recognized student organizations like fraternities.

Statistics for UC Davis indicate that there were four forcible sex offenses in these areas and four aggravated assaults in 1999. In addition, though not required by the Clery Act, the campus listed the number of "incidents" occurring in 1999--"incidents" are defined as events reported to various campus officials, including coaches, resident advisers and Student Judicial Affairs officers, but not reported to university police or not verified to have actually occurred. Eleven forcible sex incidents and two aggravated assault incidents were reported.

The campus argued that the Bee's assertion of underreporting was based on a misreading of the Clery Act's requirements, on an inaccurate interpretation of campus statistics and on an unobjective leap to sensationalized conclusions.

"Taking alleged 'shortcomings' in statistical reporting and turning them into a deliberate effort to keep crime 'in the shadows' is a substantial leap indeed," wrote Carol Wall, vice chancellor for student affairs, and Janet Hamilton, vice chancellor for administration, in the letter to the Bee. "This representation is not true and irresponsible to publish."

The Bee refused to print a retraction, standing by its reporting in a subsequent article by Executive Editor Rick Rodriguez, which did acknowledge "some minor missteps," including failing to acknowledge that UC Davis officials believe that they have been complying with the law and that the campus has an extensive violence prevention program.

The issue was renewed, however, only weeks later when a copy of an anonymous letter was found at the UC Davis police department and also delivered to Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef. The letter reportedly claimed a vote of no confidence by the department in UC Davis police chief Calvin Handy and alleged mismanagement and inadequate compliance with the Clery Act. The only identifiable entity referenced in the document, the law firm of Mastagni, Holstedt & Chiurazzi, represents the police union with which the campus is currently undergoing collective bargaining. Another unsigned letter calling for an investigation was subsequently sent to district attorneys in Yolo, Sacramento and Solano counties, as well as to the state attorney general.

In response, the campus retained an independent investigator familiar with public safety matters to explore the allegations raised.

"It is important to understand that the university, as a public trust, places a high value on its integrity," said Robert Grey, provost and executive vice chancellor. "Therefore, allegations of misconduct must be taken seriously. The university is seeking to proceed in a balanced way, consistent with our obligation under the California Whistleblower Protection Act to protect those who have made complaints, to respect the rights of those who have been accused and to ensure that any subsequent university action, if warranted, is supported by facts and evidence."

The Department of Education has announced that it is reviewing all nine UC campuses and the 23 California State University campuses. In addition, the UC Office of the President has formed a task force to review crime reporting practices at UC campuses.

IN THE BAG

The campus's oldest and biggest water tower went under wraps this summer while old lead-based paint was scraped off and the 200,000-gallon tank and tower were repainted. The plastic and scaffolding were removed in October to reveal a little fresher-looking blue-on-white UC Davis.

BEE TRACKING

A genetic test developed at UC Davis is allowing scientists to distinguish Africanized "killer" bees from those naturally present in California and to track their progress across California. Entomologist Robert Page and colleagues developed a DNA fingerprinting test to distinguish "European" or "Egyptian" varieties from the Africanized bees and to look at the spread of the African genotypes into California. Tracking the spread of Africanized wild bees is important for the beekeeping industry, because wild bees can mate with queens from commercial hives, making beekeeping more dangerous and more expensive. "These are not fun bees," says Page.

GIVING CREDIT FOR ANIMAL CARE

Even animals destined to be food can be guaranteed a humane life through a new certification program launched by the American Humane Association with the guidance of two UC Davis animal-welfare experts.

Joy Mench, a UC Davis professor and animal stress expert, and Carolyn Stull, a UC Cooperative Extension large-animal welfare specialist, serve on the scientific advisory committee for the new Free Farmed Certification Program that will certify and label food products that meet animal-welfare standards.

The first such certification effort in the United States, the program is designed to establish living standards for poultry, dairy cows and beef cattle that are raised for food production. It is modeled after England's eight-year-old Freedom Food program, which now certifies nearly 25 percent of Britain's animal-based food products.

The Free Farmed Certificate Program will be offered for a fee to producers, processors and haulers of animal-based foods. The goal of the program is to provide independent verification that participating businesses provide humane conditions for their animals. Those companies that meet the standards can place a "Free Farmed" label on their products.

"More than 8 billion farm animals are used in food production each year," said Tim O'Brien, president and chief executive officer of the humane association. "The American Humane Association is doing everything possible to ensure that animals raised for human consumption are treated humanely during their lives."

The program will be administered by Farm Animal Services, a recently established affiliate of the American Humane Association. The service will conduct audits of farms, dairies, processing plants and other businesses. The inspection process will be verified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Businesses seeking Free Farmed certification must contact Farm Animal Services, then produce required documents and undergo an on-site assessment. Following that inspection, the USDA's Agriculture Marketing Service may elect to send an auditor to the business applying for certification.

"The guidelines that the advisory committee developed for the humane treatment of farm animals are based on the members' collective experience with animal management," said Mench. "Our goal was to develop standards that are scientifically sound as well as practical and achievable from an industry standpoint."

"Much like the organic farming certification program, the Free Farmed program offers consumers the opportunity to make their purchase choices with the welfare of farm animals in mind," added Stull. "And it allows processors and producers who put the extra effort into quality animal care to take credit for that in the marketplace."