-urges police commanders to act
The Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday announced in an advertisement that it has advised police Divisional Commanders to take appropriate action against a number of businesses, residences and houses of worship which have been making noise and have been complained about.
In the advertisement published in yesterday’s Kaieteur News the ministry said that it continues to receive numerous complaints from senior citizens, the sick, working parents, students and citizens to the effect that “they are being affected by loud, repetitive and continuous noise…”
The ministry said that it had made checks at the listed locations on specified days and times and has verified the validity of the complaints.
The ministry added that it has informed the commanders and they have been directed to take the appropriate action to ensure that:
“No person shall, in any road, street, public place or land or in building premises, by operating or causing or suffering to be operated any stereo set, juke box, radio, wireless loudspeaker, gramophone, amplifier, automatic piano or similar instrument of music, or by any other means whatsoever, make or cause or suffer to be made any noise which shall be so loud and so continuous or repetitive as to cause a nuisance to occupants of any premises in the neighbourhood,” according to Subsection (1) Section 174A of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offence) Act, Chapter 8:02 and as amended by the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) (Amendment) Act 1989.)
In ‘A’ Division the ministry named the Jesus Deliverance Mission Inter-national, located at Alexander and Thomas streets, Kitty; Eureka Lab, Thomas Street, North Cummingsburg; Zoom Inn Hotel, Croal Street, Stabroek; Magnet Beer Garden, John and Joseph Pollydore streets, Lodge; Narine’s Bakery, Sheriff Street; Jackie’s Super Centre, Prospect, East Bank Demerara; and Delite ‘N’ Flavors Restaurant and Bar, George and Bent Streets as offenders.
Another church, Christian Life Centre located at Enterprise, East Coast Demerara, is on the list of offenders in ‘C’ Division along with Furniture Factory, Felicity Railway Embankment; Rooplall’s Shop, Enmore; Black Batty Bar, Enmore; White Chair Shop, Enmore; Industry Hindu Mandir, Cummings Lodge; Red Shop, Turkeyen; Club 17, Bee Hive; Jaswantie Rum Shop, Triumph; and Rickesha Liquor Restaurant located at Good Hope, Mahaica.
Nine private residences were the only offenders listed for ‘D’ Division while in the ‘E&F’ Division the Sun Set Boulevard Restaurant and Bar of Bartica was the only offender and in ‘G’ Division the Sowiyas Disco of Anna Regina and a residence were listed as being noise nuisances to their neighbourhood.
This is the second time in recent months the Ministry of Home Affairs has taken such a move against noise offenders. It is not clear what impact the last advertisement had as while the police in Georgetown had indeed followed up on the list of offenders in the city at least one of those listed, a well known fish shop, is still annoying its neighbours as is evident from the number of letters in the press about it.
Recently, letters complaining about noise nuisance have been on the rise and while some persons are charged they are usually fined or placed on bail and return to their old ways leaving those affected frustrated.