North Olmsted marksmen prepare for deer culling in wooded areas
NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio (WJW) – Marksmen with the North Olmsted Police Department are preparing to take to wooded areas of the city to take aim at deer.
“Myself and one of the other marksmen on the team are also on the Westshore Enforcement SWAT team. The other individual is also a trained sniper for the team. We are also both certified rifle instructors through the state of Ohio,” said Detective Jeff Richards.
The city has been culling deer in the same manner since at least 2016 through the months of January, February and March.
Solon Middle School wrestling coach now on leave, charged with assaulting student, district says
Letters have already been sent to area residents, notifying them of the program. Signs are put up on the properties where the shooting will take place, cautioning people to stay out.
Safety director Jennifer Scofield says the need to thin the deer numbers comes from multiple concerns, including the health of the deer population.
“Some of the concerns and feedback we get from the community are deer and motor vehicle crashes. We also get a number of calls where deer have damaged vegetation,” said Scofield.
Some residents are concerned about the proximity of the shooting to homes, including from a stand in a wooded area near Canterbury Road where Lori Casciani lives.
“It’s a residential area between the Westlake properties on Woodpath and the properties in North Olmsted. The average distance between those two homes in this wooded area is 420 feet,” said Casciani. “No matter where they are shooting from, they are within 200 feet of a home and I understand they are sharpshooters, but accidents can happen.”
Casciani is also concerned about officers accessing the areas through private property where they have not been granted permission to be carrying their rifles.
Shoppers storm Target for limited-edition Stanley tumblers
She believes that the number of deer have dwindled since city started culling them nine years ago and would like for nature to take its course.
“We bought our property in North Olmsted for the purpose of the woods in our back yard. We like animals, I want deer in our back yard. We used to see one a day. Now it’s one a month and that is also an issue to me. Mother Nature can handle it. Let the coyotes take care of it. They don’t need to be in a residential area,” she said.
The city says they take into consideration where residents have reported seeing large numbers of deer.
“We respect their opinion, but like I said, safety is our number one priority,” said Richards.
“The question really is, is it safe? And clearly if there is any doubt or shadow of a doubt, the answer is the officer doesn’t take the shot. We move the stand or we conduct or we take whatever measures are necessary to mitigate any risk,” said Officer Mark Petro.
Although culling was not officially on the city council’s agenda for Monday, some residents, including Casciani, were expected to address council to air their grievances.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
