05/18/2026
The message below was forwarded to us from City Council representative, Jeremy McGee. Jeremy provides this information after questions were raised at the civic league's April meeting about the coyotes in Suburban Acres. The response is from the Animal Protection Unit (APU) of the Norfolk Police Department.
From: Karpovich, Albert
Subject: RE: Coyotes
All,
The Animal Protection Unit (APU) only responds to wildlife that are posing an active threat to public safety or if the animal is sick/injured.
APU does not respond to sightings of wildlife or manage the population of specific types of wild animals such as coyotes. APU does not trap or relocate coyotes or other wildlife. State law governs how this is handled by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources' (VDWR) trained and permited private pest control companies.
If wildlife is a becoming a nuisance on someone's property outdoors, or if it is on their roof, in a tree, in their walls, in their crawlspace, in their attic, in their ventilation system, or if the animal is inside or under a structure that is separate from their main house, as the homeowner, they can choose to hire a wildlife removal service/licensed trapper of their choice to remove the animal(s).
For public safety reasons, if wildlife is actively loose in the living space/common areas of someone's home, APU will respond to remove the animal. APU will not respond if the house is dilapidated or not structurally sound or the animal is under large piles of trash and debris or inside any type of mechanical device/appliance where we cannot easily access the animal.
If wildlife concerns are occurring on City-owned property, we suggest that the civic leagues engage other City departments that have contracts already in place with pest control companies such as “ACME” or another wildlife removal company/licensed trapper to assist. Unless things have changed, ACME has a contract with General Services, Parks, etc., and with Norfolk Public Schools (NPS) for wildlife. If the sightings are in open City-owned spaces or near NPS facilities they may be leveraged or used to include other areas of concern within the city as needed via General Services or NPS.
For all other questions and concerns regarding wildlife, people can contact the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. For convenience, we attached a brochure from VDWR with information and tips regarding coyotes. Please share this brochure with all civic leagues affected. I suggest we also share this brochure via all the City's social media platforms/applications and communications.
Captain A.J. Karpovich
Commanding Officer
Norfolk Police Department
Special Enforcement Division
757-823-4455
