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Nov 20, 2012

When do officers enforce noise complaints?

Hi! I was actually wondering if you could find out for me in the city of Sandusky how many times that the cops have to be called out to a house with a noise complaint before they actually do something about it other then tell them to turn it down a notch. I live next to these neighbors who blast their music so loud each and every single night to the point that it some times wakes my little children up. I call the cops every night and nothing is ever done about it because they turn it down and the next day they are doing the same thing the very next night. They have no respect for any one that lives around them. Thanks — Dawn in Sandusky

Our police reporter Emil Whitis stops by the Sandusky police station every day to collect reports for the police blotter, so I asked him to talk to an officer about your question. Here are a few tips he got about noise complaints:

1. Make sure you tell the dispatcher about your previous complaints when you call in a new one. It might help to write down the times and dates of complaints you call in, so you can back up your record of making complaints.  It's important to tell the dispatcher about the previous incidents so officers know they're dealing with a repeat noise offender before they arrive at the location. And, if you get a chance to talk to the officers when they arrive, make sure you reinforce with them you've called many times. (Editor's note: If you really want to get serious about documenting this problem, you can go to Sandusky police department during normal business hours and request all of the incident reports regarding noise complaints you've made. That way when officers ask how many times you've called you can show them the stack of reports. This might also be helpful to see what officers actually told your neighbors when they made contact with them, and if there was a citation issued.)

2. The officers actually have to hear the noise themselves before they can issue a citation. So don't alert your neighbors to the fact you're calling the cops. If all is quiet when the officers arrive, they can't do anything about the complaint.

3. There is no magic number for when officers will write a ticket for a noise violation. As you noted, officers will typically just ask the violators to keep it down. If officers have to go to a house twice or more in a single week though, there's a greater likelihood the noisy neighbors will get a ticket.

Hope this helps!

The Mailbag is a daily feature on SanduskyRegister.com. Every weekday at noon, we will post one question-and-answer from a resident. To ask a question, send a letter to The Mailbag at 314 W. Market St., or e-mail mailbag@sanduskyregister.com. Please include your first name and a location in the e-mail, e.g. “John from Decatur Street."

Comments

DGMutley
Fri, 11/30/2012 - 4:40am

Actually, it isn't.

According to the FBI's Crime Statistics for Violent Crime, the national average is 386 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants, Cleveland is 1366 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants, and Sandusky is 464 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants.

While Sandusky is higher than the average Sandusky's violent crime rate has been declining--it's declined for the last 4 years that I checked. Way lower than it was 20 years ago.

realbigshot
Tue, 11/20/2012 - 7:27pm

I agree with you rickross have you seen the crime rate in sandusky lately 6 murders robberies and so on and you calling about a noise complaint that not even worth the call when you can atleast talk to them first but instead you call the cops i would do it just too make you and if the police came everytime then i know my plan worked if you talk to them and let them know the situtation i probably sure they will work with you cause calling the cops might make them think you got other issues with them since you couldnt come out and talk to them and who to say that even if they did get a ticket that they gone stop i know plenty people tickets and still play they music loud all you doing is creating a enemy thats going to hate you more and more everytime you call the police

starryeyes83
Wed, 11/21/2012 - 12:42pm

What do you think they are creating when they disrespect other peoples' peace and quiet, which people have the right to have BTW.

wiredmama222
Tue, 11/20/2012 - 10:14pm

I would ask once nicely. After that, I would TELL them nicely. There wouldn't be a third time. We have neighbors who think we all enjoy their loud music in the summer....volume turned to 10+. We have asked until our faces our blue and nothing has worked. When the new people moved in they didn't ask once....the police were called every day this past summer. There was no music for weeks. The new neighbors cars were broken into, their tires slashed and their windows and house egged three times. Of course no one saw a thing. (really). We can all only guess.

It would have been better to have talked then called.

huronguy
Tue, 11/20/2012 - 11:04pm

I agree with rick ross's first comment, great advice. be a man and go knock and let them know if that doesn't work be inventive to each circumstance.

Darkhorse
Wed, 11/21/2012 - 6:18am

You can't reason with people who have no common sense. You treat it like the car radios. The third offense, the cops take the stero away.

hmm really
Wed, 11/21/2012 - 6:37am

I think you are taking a gamble even if you politely ask on your own, and need to think about your family members safety if you do. I have some friends and their whole block was tired and upset over a neighbor's obnoxiously loud car stereo. The whole block has called to report this and emails sent to the police chief asking for help. It escalated to this because one of the neighbors DID attempt to ask politely... and the people became combative towards them! Followed by people walking by another neighbors house making threatening remarks! Both of these families have children... pretty sad and disturbing that they have to deal with things like that in their homes.

rjk1915
Wed, 11/21/2012 - 7:00am

Would this have happened 50 years ago?

wiredmama222
Wed, 11/21/2012 - 7:24am

50 years ago they had bands....lol

starryeyes83
Wed, 11/21/2012 - 9:38pm

Not much because times were different and people respected each other more. There was more common courtesy and sense back then.

Now people just don't care.

JERRY from SANDUSKY
Wed, 11/21/2012 - 10:09am

Obamas in office the best thing is to call the cops

BW1's picture
BW1
Wed, 11/21/2012 - 12:43pm

Sometimes an illustrative message works wonders.

Used to live in the big city. Had a problem with neighbors playing obscene rap music so loud I could hear it in my basement with all windows closed. Went out and bought a Patsy Cline CD, moved the big Infinity Q4's onto the back porch and turned the big SAE rack mount amp up to eleven. After 30 seconds, the rap music was turned down, and somebody shouted over the fence, "OK, we got the message. Sorry 'bout that."

Never had a problem again.

2cents
Wed, 11/21/2012 - 1:00pm

Neighbors! I had one where three older teenage boys were shooting a bow and arrow at a target in their back yard nailed to a tree that was on the property line. Hmm, kids, then tree, then our back yard, add it up. My wife was out working in the garden so I told her to come in because if they missed the target the arrow would be on a trajectory to hit her. So I waited inside and when they missed, the arrow landed past where she was, it would have hit her. One boy came over to retrieve the arrow, but only to be staring at the business end of an unloaded 22 rifle. He dropped the arrow and ran like hell! Well before they could call the cops I went over and explained their stupidity, I think they will remember that physics lesson forever….

goofus
Wed, 11/21/2012 - 4:56pm

WWBD Barry would invite all paties to a beer summit.

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