The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has written to the acting Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken to launch a campaign against noise nuisance.
The DPP’s Chambers made the disclosure in a statement on Friday while adding persons affected by the scourge are to make reports to the nearest police stations. “If affected persons do not get a satisfactory result at the police station, they are free to file a complaint with the DPP’s Office,” the statement added.
The issue was highlighted in wake of a complaint and signed petition to the DPP from residents of Enmore, East Coast Demerara, on August 30, 2022, about loud music being played in their area.
The statement said the DPP is kindly requesting the signatories to the petition to visit the DPP’s
Chambers for statements to be taken from them during the normal working hours of 09:00 hrs to 15:00 hrs from Monday to Friday.
The DPP’s Chambers reminded citizens that noise nuisance is a criminal offence in accordance with Section 174 A of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act Chapter.
Sections of 174 A states:
“(1) No person shall, in any road, street, public place or land or in any building or premises, by operating or causing or suffering to be operated any stereo set, jukebox, radio, wireless loud speaker, 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.
“(2) Any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than seven thousand five hundred dollars nor more than fifteen thousand dollars and to imprisonment for six months and on a second or any subsequent conviction to a fine of not less than ten thousand dollars nor more than twenty thousand dollars and to imprisonment for twelve months.”
