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Beware for Cape Girardeau's regulations against noise disturbances

Wes Frazer
/
Flickr
Outdoor parties are about to get popular again.

Summer is just around the corner, bringing with it the humming purr of lawn mowers, barbecues and outdoor parties. But revelers should try to keep the noise down - Cape Girardeau has two regulations against noise disturbances.

One is a noise ordinance and the other a nuisance house ordinance.

The Cape Girardeau Police Department’s Darin Hickey said a disturbing noise that can be heard from over 50 feet away and infringes on somebody else's rights is considered a violation of the noise ordinance. A noise violation can come from a single vehicle or person.

 

The nuisance house ordinance is more of a group violation. It is describes as a house frequented by large groups of people, where other activities might be going on like people in the front or back yard, loud music, or large quantities of vehicles. It qualifies as a nuisance residence or place more than a noise violation.

Since the nuisance house ordinance was passed a few years ago, only a few citations have been issued.

When the police gets calls for excessive noise coming from a house or a business, they not only get involved for enforcement purposes but also to send a message. Some people do not know that there is an ordinance against loud situations.

“We are there to educate people. A lot of times we get complaints and people will move inside or turn the music down and that’s kind of the whole goal. We want to make it comfortable for the residents having a gathering as well as for the people that are living around them or the businesses that are conducting operations around them,” explained Hickey.

Hickey added that if the problem persists, police can issue a summons for court.

Noisy activities should stop after 10 pm and should not start before 7 am. However, each situation is different and exceptions can be made for some types of working activities that require things to be done at odd times.

“If there is a good explanation for that then obviously we want to educate them to remind them what the ordinance states but then as well let them know that it is a violation,” said Hickey.

Making noise between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. is not a problem, but within reason. Normal everyday activities like mowing and construction are fine, but people ought to be careful with something that is beyond a normal activity like an extremely loud stereo coming from a house or a vehicle.

The rules are the same on weekdays and weekends and a lot of it relies on common sense. People are encouraged to take into consideration how they would feel if it were their neighbors who were making the disturbance.

If someone makes too much noise and the police gets involved, they are issued a court summons and given a court date. The person responsible for the property is the one cited into court and the judge determines what punishment is given out if any.

Hickey explains that every situation is different. If it’s a situation where the police have received multiple complaints, a summons to court can be issued right away. But if it is a one time thing, people can get by with a warning if they turn the noise down immediately.

Marine Perot was a KRCU reporter for KRCU in 2014.