Police: Don&8217;t let sounds of summer get too loud
Published 12:00 am Thursday, June 15, 2006
The Natchez Police Department will start cracking down on loud music from cars this summer. If the noise can be heard 100 feet away, the driver violates the city&8217;s noise ordinance. Officers will be placed in different parts of town to listen for loud music and write citations, NPD Chief Mike Mullins said Wednesday. &8220;The problem is all over town,&8221; Mullins said. &8220;It&8217;s a seasonal problem. It&8217;s worse when the weather&8217;s warmer because people have their car windows open.&8221; The department has been receiving more complaints over the past three weeks, Mullins said, especially at gas stations and car washes. He said he understands why people want the noise to stop. &8220;No one should have to listen to someone else&8217;s music a block away,&8221; Mullins said. &8220;Everyone has a right to peace and quiet.&8221; The usual fine for violating the noise ordinance is $190, Mullins said. And handing out a few tickets is usually all it takes. &8220;It works,&8221; Mullins said. &8220;Word gets around pretty quick. If someone got a citation, they tell their friends.&8221; , and the number of offenses drops.&8221; Ken Naff, owner of Naff&8217;s Audio-Video, which sells audio sound systems, said he understands the need to ticket violators, but he said it is not fair to focus on loud music and ignore other noisy vehicles. &8220;I see no difference between loud music and loud (car) pipes,&8221; Naff said. &8220;To me, a sound ordinance means all sound, not just music.&8221; If the drivers are playing loud music to aggravate people, they should be ticketed, Naff said. &8220;I don&8217;t want music rattling my walls, either,&8221; Naff said. &8220;But then I hear trucks with loud pipes go by, too. I think they should be fair.&8221; George Brown, manager of Rex&8217;s TV Appliance, which also installs sound systems, said he understands people do not want to be disturbed by loud music at night or in residential areas. &8220;Otherwise,&8221; Brown said, &8220;just driving down the street, I don&8217;t see why it&8217;s that big of a deal.&8221;