An Upper Corentyne, Berbice group formed in January has gathered 262 signatures for their petition for the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to appropriately deal with noise nuisance which they argue is a “serious public health issue.”
According to the group called Citizens Against Noise Nuisance, which is located at Corriverton, if the noise nuisance laws are enforced by the EPA and the GPF, there would be some level of control and abatement of the problem.
They are calling on the EPA and GPF to act on the laws currently in place, and for Parliament to put additional laws in place to deal with the problem of noise nuisance. Furthermore, they are asking that a special unit be established at each police station to specifically deal with noise nuisance reports.
The petition argues that despite many complaints of noise nuisance by phone at night to “the Police in the relevant areas, the Police have been unresponsive to these reports.”
It said that many restaurants and bars in the Corriverton area have been playing music at an intolerable level with patrons or visitors to these establishments parking their vehicles in front of or nearby, and blasting music inclusive of vulgar lyrics on an almost a daily basis and especially at weekends, during the day and into the wee hours of the night/morning “and despite many phone calls to the Police, no action is taken.”
Further, it noted that many private vehicles have been traversing the public road and streets at all hours of the day and night and have been blasting music without concern for the health and wellbeing of the people.
“These vehicles have large speakers by the windows facing the road or street. These vehicles also carry a trunk load of speakers.”
Additionally, it stated that at many homes, people have been playing music very loudly.
“Many weddings, birthday parties, and other get-togethers go on for 1-3 days with music blasting so much so that homes are shaking and windows vibrating.”
The petition also cited, the revving of large motorcycles and some motorcycle groups as noise nuisances. Often, these motorcycle owners ride up and down the road, revving their engines, it said, adding that “the Police have not been acting on oral complaints at nights. Many people are unable to venture out at nights to physically make a complaint.”
According to them, in many instances, the noisemakers are usually persons who may be drunk or under influence of drugs and/or aggressive towards complainants. “People are afraid of complaining openly because they would be targets of abuse, violence and in one instance a Pandit was stabbed to death because he approached the noisemakers and complained after the police failed to act on his complaints.”
Meanwhile, the petition noted, that people are generally afraid of these noisemakers thus “we see the (problem as) mainly one of enforcement of the existing noise nuisance laws and the pressing need to expand and update our existing laws.”
On August 28, 2021, Crabwood Creek Hindu priest, Rishi Bharrat was beaten to death after he tried to quell loud and indecent behaviour outside of his home. Six men were subsequently charged with the murder.
In December 2021, Alphonso Williams, also known as ‘Lil Boy,’ 51, of Liverpool Village, Corentyne, was allegedly chopped by a neighbour, who accused his wife of filing a noise nuisance report against him.
According to the police, Williams’ wife was verbally abused by the suspect, 31, who accused her of being the one who reported him for noise nuisance to the police on the day in question.
Williams “went home and enquired from the suspect about the verbal abuse meted out to his wife”. The suspect then headed into the street armed with a cutlass. A heated argument ensued between the two neighbours “during which the suspect dealt the victim a chop to his left wrist and right hand.”
In March 2018, Deonarine Persaud during a trial at the High Court in Georgetown testified to being chopped several times by his neighbour, Andy Boodram, on the night of September 24th, 2011.
According to Persaud, the attack stemmed from a request he had made to Boodram, asking him to lower his music as his infant son was ill at the time and asleep.
While inflicting numerous broadsides, Persaud said that Boodram had chopped him twice on the head and once to his left thumb as he tried to bar the chops.
Proactive
The group through the petition called on the police to be proactive in preventing noise nuisance and enforcing the laws and for them to act on oral complaints from members of the public.
They also requested that the police stop noise nuisance wherever it occurs and not wait for a complaint from members of the public.
And they also said that Parliament must pass laws to regulate bars, restaurants and discos and to have these places soundproofed before these establishments can operate.
Parliament, the petition said, must also pass laws to grant the police powers to remove and seize music boxes from hire and private vehicles, restaurants, bars, public places and homes in event of a breach of the noise nuisance laws.
The petitioners are also requesting that car speakers be restricted to a decibel level that is not injurious to health.
The petition also called on Parliament to pass laws to provide for use of the sound level meter (Decibel Meter), the lawful level of decibel permitted, and the calibration and use of the readings, as evidence in court.
The petition also asks that the Municipal and District Council Act be amended to authorize the Town Councils and District Councils to enforce Part V, Regulation 13 of the Environmental Protection Act Cap 20:05 (Noise Management) Regulations.
It also urges that fines and imprisonment be doubled for offences committed between the hours of 8 pm to 5 am.
“The Environmental Protection Agency should not grant any Environmental Authorization or Noise Permit without publication of a notice of application for such Authorization or Permit being published in the Newspapers and served on neighbours so that members of the public and neighbours can raise any objections”, the petitioners added.
The petition has since been sent to the GPF, the EPA, and the Attorney General’s Chambers.
