Shhh! It’s a Secret… Rye PD Statement on Coyote Capture and Killing
(PHOTO: Captured coyote from Facebook page of Jim Horton's QualityPro Pest & Wildlife Services)
The Rye PD issued the following statement tonight on the capture and killing of a male coyote near North Street ten days ago on July 31st. The PD goes to some length in its statement to explain why it did not disclose the coyote capture and killing in a more timely manner, saying it wanted to keep the location secret to attract and capture additional coyotes (it did not capture other animals).
The secrecy around the coyote capture and the evasive nature of comments from public officials was the subject of reporting by Theresa Juva at LoHud.com on August 7th.
Do you think Rye officials should have waited 10 days to disclose the July 31st capture of the male coyote? Leave a comment below.
The Rye PD statement:
PRESS RELEASE
August 9, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COYOTE CAPTURED IN CITY OF RYE
Contact: Police Commissioner William R. Connors (914) 967-1234
A coyote was captured within the confines of the City of Rye on Saturday, July 31, 2010.
The animal, a male weighing approximately forty pounds, was found at approximately 3:00 P.M. in a wooded area near North Street. He was captured in a humane rubberized leg hold trap set by the Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator retained by the City, Jim Horton of QualityPro Pest and Wildlife Services. The coyote was not harmed in any way by the trapping process. In accordance with guidelines for dealing with coyotes and the terms of the City’s trapping permit established by the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation, the animal was euthanized. The carcass was removed by the trappers and will be submitted to New York State for necropsy.
Information regarding the capture was not immediately released in order to extend the potential usefulness of the trapping location. Because of the scent left in the area by the captured animal, the City’s hired trapper, Jim Horton, was hopeful that additional coyotes might be captured if the location were left undisturbed. Police Commissioner William Connors said, “Wildlife experts uniformly say that it is extraordinarily difficult to trap coyotes during the summer; since Mr. Horton had success with this location, we were obligated to preserve it for as long as possible. Contamination of the area would have eliminated that opportunity.”
There has been a noticeable drop in coyote sightings; since July 26th, only two have been reported, both on August 3rd. “Although we cannot say the coyote threat has been resolved, or whether other factors are involved, we do believe our efforts have been successful to date in beginning to re-establish the necessary line of fear coyotes need to have for humans based on the capture of this animal, the decrease in reported sightings, and the decrease in reports of bold or aggressive coyote behavior toward humans,” the Commissioner said. He urged residents to continue to be aware of the possibility of aggressive coyote behavior, and to continue to take precautions with small children outdoors.
The City will continue its hazing and harassment strategy to include aggressive hunting and trapping efforts in accordance with the advice of the State DEC and will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of methods and tactics in order to ensure public safety. The City will also continue to take the lead in establishing a regional, long-term approach with surrounding municipalities, the state and the federal government in dealing with this trend.
Coyote sightings should be reported immediately by calling 911 or the Police Department’s main number, (914) 967-1234.
General information about coyotes is available on the City of Rye’s website, www.ryeny.gov, as well as on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s website, https://www.dec.ny.gov .
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I think it is laughable that the media is trying to make a story out of a non-story. It is a story if God forbid there was another attack. The police and the trappers should not have to report every time there is something captured or not. People have been complaining that the coyotes have not been captured and the people will complain if the coyotes will get killed. How about letting the police do their jobs and let the trapper do his job and not make it front page of the newspapers and blogs.
With two sitting council members from the media industry one would think that this government would instinctively understand how to promote a positive working relationship with accredited journalists. You don’t offer them disinformation or dodges when it’s obvious that the actual timeline of events – once revealed – will show you have been disingenuous with the truth. Let’s leave that stuff in the past please – contrary to conventional wisdom it is NOT sophisticated tradecraft nor prudent nor acceptable.
If you have good news – as in a vicious animal has finally been trapped and destroyed – and you are asked a direct question on trapping status and you temporarily don’t want the matter to be public – you engage the journalist in the truth of the situation and ask them for the public good to embargo the story for a short period of time so as to hopefully trap more animals. This isn’t Watergate – and the journalist in this case has a long history of dealing fairly with issues and public safety matters in Rye and her editors have shown similar judgment and restraint. This dissimilation tactic was a shabby slap in their collective faces – unwarranted and unnecessary.
Thus is it any surprise that The Journal News then used their front page twice in as many days to spotlight the information and highlight the quasi cover-up? And now that the regional and national media has picked up the story – is the current administration enjoying this kind of coverage?
Really folks, is there no learning curve in Rye as to how to be prudently transparent and engage the media so the Rye looks good in the information age?