Guidelines for Noise Violations

Here are some guidelines on how to deal with excessive noise. Please remember that this is a diverse community and that the police should be called only for the recurring and excessive noise violators. 

• If you are bothered by noisy neighbors, call the police at 333-8911. The nearby sororities and fraternities have asked us to contact them directly before calling police. List of house representatives.
• If you do not know the exact address of the house from which the noise is coming and do not want to get dressed to go out and see, don't be intimidated by the METCAD dispatcher asking you for the violator's address. Just give him/her the closest description you can (e.g. Busey between Iowa and Washington) and the assurance that if a police officer were to drive by, s/he would be able to determine which house it is.
• Write down the time and date that you called. If the noise stops and then starts again a half hour later, call 333-8911 and tell the dispatcher that you called in a noise complaint, the police evidently responded because the noise stopped, but it has started again. Ask the dispatcher to tell the officer that the police already responded once to the same address earlier. If possible, tell the dispatcher at what time the police responded to your previous call, or at least the time of your previous call.
• If you have been having a problem with the residents of a specific address, when you call 333-8911, ask the dispatcher who takes your call to please tell the officer who responds that you have had to call about this address before, and if possible, provide the dates and times of your previous calls.
• If you have any problems or concerns about the response to your noise complaints, please contact your city council member detailing the date and time of your calls.

Thanks to city council member Esther Patt  for these guidelines.

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posted 4/26/04, sb