Earlier this evening, animal right activists began a protest in front of Torrance City Hall against a coyote management program the city plans to discuss tonight.

Many of these activists are upset about steps the city may take to control the growing population of coyotes, which could include trapping. The workshop at the beginning of the council meeting will take a look at an urban coyote management program that would help increase public safety in many different ways.

Just this past week in Torrance, 13 coyote attacks were reported against cats. In total, there have been 60 deaths of animals attributed to coyotes and more than 150 coyote sightings.

The Police Department plans to share an overview about coyote interactions with the public, coyote behavior and steps that locals can take to decrease interactions. They also will go over procedures they plan to implement and how they will spread awareness about the current situation.

Officials say the main strategy is a three-pronged approach, which includes public education, co-existing with coyotes, and enforcement of laws and regulations prohibiting the feeding of wildlife. And with human behavior a key role in shaping animal behavior, officials will discuss the importance of hazing.

The Council will look at approving $25,000 for the urban coyote management plan. The meeting also will have speakers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Tracy Drake, naturalist and manager of the Madrona Marsh Nature Center.

You can catch the City Council meeting live at the top of the hour on Time Warner cable system Channel 3, Frontier FiOS Channel 31, and over-the-air via digital broadcast on KNET 25.2. The meeting can also be seen live online on the City’s website. City Council meetings also are archived online. We will also have full coverage of the meeting from both sides of this issue on This Week in Torrance.