Southside Police Putting an End to Noise

If
you like playing your music very loud you better turn it down--
especially if you live on Savannah's southside. Police there are
watching out for people who blast their music from cars or homes at an
unreasonable level. They said they are on the lookout for violators of
this long standing law after neighbors there complained that the
problem was getting out of control.

"It's
one of the biggest complaints we have," said Savannah-Chatham
police southside precinct commander Captain Rick Zapal.

Police said city ordinances do not allow people to play loud music within 50 feet of someone on the street or in their home.

"Fifty feet is pretty far," Zapal said. "If you can hear it at that distance it's really too loud."

Zapal said he's received too many complaints about loud music from neighbors in his precinct.

"They are tired of
listening to loud music," said Zapal. "Every time you ride down the
street you've got someone that's got it turned so loud you can't hear
yourself think."

Now he's challenging his police officers like James Lyttle to enforce a "no tolerance policy" on loud music.

"Sometimes you get
people complaining about picture frames and items inside their house
vibrating due to the noise," said Lyttle as he was patrolling the
streets of Savannah's southside on Tuesday.

But neighbors on Savannah's eastside said the problem is just as bad there.

"It gets me very
riled up when I'm trying to sleep and my daughter is trying to sleep,"
said eastside neighbor Michael Zaapa. "You hear boom, boom, boom,boom."

And he and his wife Chris fear this noise nuisance can lead to other crimes.

"This is crime
also," said Chris. "You have to address this as anything else because
it's becoming a problem and it's going to be even worse if we don't
take care of it now."

Savannah-Chatham
police said the fine for playing loud music beyond 50 feet can range
from $180 to $1000. They said violators can also end up in jail for up
to 12 months.

The Southside
precinct borders include Derenne Avenue to the Forest River Bridge and
from the Truman Parkway to Hunter Army Airfield.