May 22, 2019 by Carol Britton Meyer
The day following the well-attended May 7 Selectmen's meeting that included a lengthy discussion about coyote-related concerns among residents, the board -- as promised the night before -- took steps to address what some residents are calling a coyote crisis.
Asst. Town Administrator Michelle Monsegur provided a progress report last night. On May 8, a meeting involving Town Administrator Tom Mayo, Police Chief Glenn Olsson, and Animal Control Officer Leslie Badger took place to talk about the issue and next steps. Coyote mating season was earlier this year, so young pups are around as well as adult coyotes.
"We also reached out to state agencies [requesting information] about pre-existing wildlife studies, which we will review as soon as we receive them," Monsegur said.
In addition, the selectmen's office contacted the Environmental Police requesting a meeting with Hingham officials. "At that time, among other discussion topics, we plan to evaluate existing legislation and the pros and cons of any potential legislation [addressing this issue]," she said.
A big issue is that there are specific laws relating to trapping and also to shooting coyotes in the most extreme situations, thereby tying the hands of local animal control officers in how they handle the overall situation and individual incidents.
In the meantime, Badger is working with schools, neighborhood groups, and individual families to schedule educational sessions about coyotes.
The Hingham Police Department has improved its online data collection tools. Additional information about coyotes and also an online coyote sighting form are posted on the HPD website at https://hpd.org/241/Coyotes. Information and a coyote presentation are available on the Animal Control Officer website.
Message from HPD: Please DO NOT call 911 or the police station business line to report seeing a coyote unless there is an emergency or immediate threat to humans. The Hingham Police Department and Animal Control Officer want to have all sightings reported and logged in a central location so we can address any threats appropriately. To report a coyote sighting please complete the Report a Coyote Sighting Form and include as much detail as possible. All sightings reported via this form will be logged and followed up on by the Animal Control Officer or one of her assistants.
The Hingham Anchor will continue to provide updates as they become available.