As the festive season approaches, residents of Sheriff Street, Campbell-ville are bracing themselves for a noise pollution onslaught in what seems to be a cruel response to either ambivalence or complete abandonment by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the two agencies with the legal mandate to assist them. This is despite three years (2020-2023) of calls, reports, 16 letters to the EPA, the GPF and press, all with minimal intervention and negligible results.
Residents to whom the Stabroek News spoke to last week identified the source of their discomfort as Lisa’s Restaurant and Bar, located at the corner of Sheriff and Fourth streets. According to the residents, this establishment operates throughout the night and into the early morning of the following day with unabated noise levels. Specific residents, during the interview with the Stabroek News, voluntarily identified themselves as letter-to-the-editor writers who had also called on the EPA to address this noise nuisance with zero success.
Residents said their nights changed for the worse following the opening of Coss Cutter Supermarket which has a habit of placing tables and chairs at nights on an open terrace and playing loud music.
In July, 2023, Butcher’s, a new restaurant, grill and chill bar, housed in Buddy’s building, blasted its presence into the eardrums of residents in what some in retrospect thought should have been insulated in a sound proof setting but was not.
Between 2020-2023, residents said, contact was made with both the EPA and GPF via phone calls, visits and letters. A total of 16 letters were sent to the EPA between 2020 and 2021, other reports were made via phone calls with audio-visual evidence. An EPA letter of acknowledgement in 2021 stated, “Officers of the EPA conducted investigations on May 31st and August 14th, which concluded that the nature and time of activity at the aforementioned location may pose a risk of noise disturbance to residents in the immediate environment. Given the collaborative efforts and joint mandates of the Guyana Police Force and the EPA for the noise management, Sergeant Daly of the Kitty Police Station previously highlighted that her office will monitor the operation for any future complaints of noise disturbance and to institute enforcement action as may be applicable under the Police Act cap. 1601, Laws of Guyana, the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, CAP, 8:02, Laws of Guyana and/or any other relevant legislation.”
But Pearl Lewis, during the interview with Stabroek News, had many questions regarding what seems to be an issue with no end in sight. “What ever happened to the noise nuisance law? Who is the law applied to? Do we still have an active Guyana Police Force? Are they being selective when it comes to these reports? Why is the police not enforcing it?” Lewis asked. She admitted that there are the occasional police patrols, and agreed they may be responding to residents’ complaints, but suggests that these patrols’ responses are weighted with an unusual level of impotence since patrol or no patrol, the noise pollution continues unabated. Lewis said that what was worrying about their interactions with the law enforcement agency was the insults directed at them by ranks when the enabling conditions dictate no alternative but to seek intercessions from the respective police stations.
“We don’t mind people playing their music but be moderate,” Lewis said. “People have health issues and it goes [on] for hours. Coss Cutter owner now claim he got permission and he bring out the music set to play; that is a supermarket. When he starts in the afternoon, then you have Butcher Grill and Bar in the night accompanied by Lisa’s you can imagine what is going on. I don’t know who is covering for this woman, but it is blatant that she is acting under protection. A bar must be in a building. Why is she being encouraged to put out chairs at night? Bars have closing hours. Why is there no closing time?”
On the other hand, Butcher’s Chill Bar, Restaurant and Grill is accommodated in an open space therefore not sound proof. “Every night you have to call the police to turn down Butcher’s Bar. The insults you got to face from some of the ranks when you keep calling so steady. Christmas coming, what will happen to we?” Lewis asked.
