Council says no thump in trunk
City passes fines for loud car stereos

July 15, 2004
BY MARISOL BELLO
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Now may not be the time for Detroiters to plop down hundreds of dollars on a 1,000-watt amplifier and 18-inch subwoofers to pump music from the inside of their cars.

The Detroit City Council on Wednesday said no to the trunk-thumping, license-plate rattling beats that emanate from some car stereos.
The city unanimously passed an amendment to the city's noise ordinance, penalizing anyone whose music can be heard 10 feet or more from their vehicles. Previously, there was no distance requirement in the ordinance.

The penalty carries a $100 fine for the first offense, $200 for the second and up to $300 and a possible 90 days in jail for subsequent offenses. Previously, the fine for a general noise violation was $500 and a maximum 90 days in jail.

"I drafted the ordinance because of proliferation of boom boxes in the cars, and then you drive up to one and your heart starts beating out of your chest," said City Councilwoman Barbara-Rose Collins, who sponsored the ordinance. She said the ordinance is not a major piece of legislation but a necessary one that improves the quality of life in the city. "I want young people to know that there is a certain decorum in the city of Detroit and that they have to be respectful of people like they would in Grosse Pointe," Collins said.
The ordinance goes into effect in a week unless Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick vetoes it.

Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel said while she agrees that people shouldn't be assaulted by the deafening sounds of loud music, she hopes the city's police do not use the amendment as a tool to harass young people. She also said she worries about how and whether police can enforce the ordinance. Residents are already frustrated by the lack of services the city is able to provide, she said. "I do not wish to exacerbate that frustration by creating false hope that this ordinance will quell high levels of noise," she said in a statement after her vote.
A Police Department spokesman said officers will not do anything different to enforce the updated ordinance.

"It's another citation, like ticketing someone for speeding or running a red light," Officer Glen Woods said. He said officers will probably write more tickets at first, until the word spreads among residents to keep the radios down. He did not know how many noise violations the department has issued.

Natalie Brown, who works at Auto Alarm Depot on East 8 Mile Road, said she doesn't think the ordinance will stop people from upgrading their car's sound systems. She said a state-of-the-art stereo system is a priority, mainly for young men, although she said more women are requesting high-end systems too. "People will become more aware when the police are around," she said. "They'll know to turn it down."

Contact MARISOL BELLO at 313-222-6678 or bello@freepress.com.