http://www.sanmarcosrecord.com/articles/2005/06/10/news/news4.txt
June 10, 2005
Police hoping to muffle car tunes angst
By BRAD ROLLINS - Staff Reporter
San Marcos may be quieter than usual now with most university students
returned to their homes for the summer, but police are planning to be
proactive when students return in September to encourage compliance with the
city's vehicle noise ordinance.
Police Chief Howard E. Williams said the department had budgeted about
$5,000 in overtime pay to put extra patrols on the streets during the weeks
when students are returning to campus. Part of their efforts will target
traffic control on clogged streets, but loud music coming from vehicles is
also a primary focus.
"We want officers making stops and talking to people about our noise
ordinance," Williams said. "If we seek these people out at the beginning of
the semester before people start complaining about them, we can set a good
pattern for the rest of the year. It's really more about information than
enforcement."
Drivers can be ticketed in the city if noise or vibrations can be heard or
felt from a distance of 30 feet or more away. The ordinance exempts
businesses that rely on sound systems such as ice cream trucks.
The department logged 80 complaints about loud vehicles during 2004, 20 of
which were lodged by the same person. But Williams said those numbers don't
indicate the extent of the problem.
"Eighty calls isn't a whole lot in the course of a year, but, to be fair, 80
calls probably really doesn't reflect the level of frustration over loud
noise and cars. Many residents may not like it and may be frustrated and
annoyed, but understand that there's not much point in calling 911. By the
time anyone gets there, whoever it was is going to be gone."
The department issued 30 vehicle noise citations last year, none of which
resulted from 911 calls.