Black Bear Canvasses Rye Park Neighborhood

 

For two days this month, residents of Rye Park, the neighborhood adjacent to Rye Country Day School, were surprised — and in some cases, dismayed — to see a black bear roaming the streets, their yards. One morning, he lumbered up to a front door. One night, he chased a resident and her dog who were out walking.

 

While the bear was not charged with criminal mischief, he did make the Police Blotter.

 

6/12 Officer reported black bear, BPR/Hillside Road, 5:46 a.m. Negative on-foot search of rear yard of Hillside residence and surrounding neighborhood.

 

6/12 Big black bear reported in Grandview Avenue/High Street area 8:54 a.m. Bear went into St. Mary’s Cemetery.

 

6/13 Black bear spotted near Rye Country Day/High Street/Grandview, 11:34 a.m. Area checked with negative results.

 

6/13 Grandview Avenue caller stated bear chased her and her dog, 10:13 p.m. Animal found in Grandview driveway. Taser shotgun deployed and struck bear which was lasts seen heading westbound on Hillside towards Purchase Street. Chase could not be continued due to darkness. Human and dog uninjured.

 

On June 14, the young, “non-aggressive” bear was sighted in White Plains by the Harrison border.

 

According to Rye’s Commissioner of Public Safety Lt. Robert Falk, the RPD does not use Code Red alerts for these types of incidents, since they attract curious onlookers. Grandview/Hillside/High residents and others were left wondering how neighborhoods can be alerted to future bear visits without endangering the bear or encouraging a crowd.