Police Cannot Be Disturbed
If one is looking for a small town expecting peace and quiet, it may be a good idea to pay it a visit first. Most cities have laws preventing people from driving around thumping loud music in such a way only the bass is heard from the street or inside homes.
One example is a small town in Nebraska named Alliance. It boasts itself as “The Best Hometown in America,” but some find this to be far from true.
Although the city’s municipal code prohibits unnecessary vehicle noise, somehow, the Alliance Police Department does not consider the thrumming base of someone’s loud music vehicle noise. The noise is coming from a vehicle, and thus is vehicle noise.
The APD says it is helpless to do anything to stop this loud and inconsiderate noise as it said the officers’ peace cannot be disturbed. Although they are fully aware the excessive volume of the music disturbs the peace of the city’s citizens, the police seem to be unable to protect that peace.
Unnecessarily loud motorcycles circle the small town over and over, loud thrumming base music and un-muffled motors of aging-rusted trucks plaque the citizens of the isolated community.
Even if a police officer cannot be disturbed, they are well aware everyone in the path of the thrumming vehicle’s peace is being disturbed.
This publication attempted three requests by email for an interview with APD Police Chief John Kiss. Kiss only responded to one attempt of contact by giving a referral to speak with someone else. The referral was not specific saying only to contact a health expert, although Kiss is on the Alliance Board of Health. An email asking the police chief for his definition of vehicle noise went unanswered as well.
The Alliance Municipal Code §26-58 (a) states: It shall be unlawful for any person to drive a motor vehicle or motorcycle within the city in such a manner that it creates or causes loud, disturbing, unnecessary, or unusual engine noises or any noise which either annoys, disturbs, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others.
For some reason, the APD does not think loud music coming from a vehicle is vehicle noise. As the code states it is unlawful to perform such acts, it appears unnecessarily loud music is exempt from the defined code.
Many people consider the thrumming bass heard from blocks away is annoying, it is disturbing, causes physiological damage, and endangers the comfort, repose, health and safety. Unless someone calls to complain about the excessive noise, the police department claims to be helpless to stop it.
The Merriam Webster Word Central explains the Latin root for the word noise is nausea. The definition provided in the dictionary describes nausea as a stomach distress with distaste for food and an urge to vomit; extreme disgust.
Decades of research proved noise pollution – undesired, annoying and irritating noise – showed a marked increase on health problems whether it comes from a noisy neighbor, a nearby railway, a nearby highway or any one of many other sources.
Multiple independent research studies as well as many official governmental agencies studies performed show a direct correlation between noise pollution and an increased rate of cardiovascular output, high blood pressure, and heart rate.
Exposure to noise pollution can directly affect the way one sleeps simply by keeping that individual or individuals awake. The disruption to someone’s sleep that is regularly exposed to the noise pollution, may cause them to suffer deeper sleep disorders.
Noise pollution is known to cause or increase sleep disorders such as insomnia and narcolepsy. These sleep issues are shown to also increase or cause cardiovascular conditions such as those listed above.
It is found to lessen cogitative abilities especially in children. This leads to irritability, anti-social behavior, decreased focus and more. These can lead to children acting up in school and having difficulty maintaining grades. This creates behavioral problems in school as well as a decreased ability to learn and assimilate information.
The APD’s refusal to stop vehicles projecting such loud noise damages the health and repose of those exposed to it. As the police are supposed to protect the safety and welfare of its citizens, it can be difficult to understand why such behavior is allowed to continue unchecked.