New London police using coyote as an educational tool
New London — A coyote that appears to have taken up residence in the Whaling City has now become something of an educational tool at the city’s middle school.
Acting Police Chief Peter Reichard has enlisted a group of about 100 students from the leadership program at Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School to help educate citizens on how to create coyote-safe homes.
Reichard met with the students Thursday morning to discuss strategies and develop a plan to distribute educational materials to homes that might be in the path of the roving coyote or coyotes. It's unclear how many are living in the area.
The idea is to eventually mark the homes with some type of sign signifying the homeowners are taking steps to avoid attracting the animal: keeping their pets indoors and on leashes, removing birdfeeders and pet food from outdoors and securing garbage.
At least one coyote has been spotted on a nearly daily basis in the city’s south end, following people walking their dogs and showing few signs it has any fear of humans. A Glenwood Avenue family reported that their Chihuahua was killed about two weeks ago by a coyote.
School Principal Alison Burdick said the students, New Londoners spanning the sixth through eighth grades, are developing a map of the area to cover for distribution of pamphlets and will in the next few weeks meet in small groups with the school resource officer and crime prevention officer to canvas various neighborhoods.
The activity falls in line with the leadership program’s goals, which include problem-solving activities and community activism. It also is part of the police department’s community policing efforts that have involved more students in recent months.
Burdick said Reichard called her to ask how to get the students involved in a proactive effort to educate people about the coyote issue.
“To have the chief of police come to the middle school, enlisting the help of children between the ages of 10 and 14 years old ... I think they’re really starting to see police in a different light,” Burdick said. “They’re proud he thought enough of them to come speak.”
The meeting was part of a larger ongoing outreach effort by the department that has included police involvement in the New London Youth Talent Show, a student and police basketball game and involvement in an after-school self-defense class, among other programs.
The police and students are in the planning stages for a dodge ball game featuring teams composed of officers and students, and a summer kayaking program.
“Its community policing,” Reichard said. “They’re at the age where us getting involved helps form impressions about us and we can form relationships with them.”
Reichard said there will be a continuing effort to introduce police officers as role models.
As for the coyote, Reichard said sightings continue to pour in and because of its rather domesticated-type behavior, there are no immediate plans for the animal to be killed. Police will shoot the animal only if it showed signs of aggression.
It doesn’t mean people should not take precautions, however. He said residents should take the advice of the wildlife experts, limiting things that will attract the coyote and hazing the animal, which essentially involves trying to scare it away. Hazing can involve yelling and waving arms, spraying the coyote with a hose or throwing small projectiles. Running away from a coyote is never suggested, according to the experts.
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