Mayor Proposes "Common Sense" Noise Code
Source:NY1
opinion instead of scientific instruments, yeah, I trust cops too
Mayor Michael Bloomberg Monday proposed reforming the city?s noise control laws to allow police to use their own judgment instead of a sound meter to crack down on the worst offenders.

New Yorkers complain more about noise than any other ?quality of life? issue. The city's 311 hotline logs some 1,000 noise complaints a day.

?What we are trying to do is make that law enforcement more understandable and lead to constructive solutions,? the mayor said. ?The reason you have fines isn?t to raise money; it?s to discourage certain kinds of behavior. And this does a better job at that, we think, than the existing law.?

The new code would crack down on the worst offenders, which include construction sites, bars and nightclubs and car alarms. Instead of using handheld decibel counters, police would be able to issue summonses based on what is ?plainly audible.?

?This is a common sense approach to enforcement, and lets cops use their judgment,? Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said. ?The audible standard is going to make our job much easier.?

The new code needs the approval of the City Council, which will hold hearings on the matter over the summer.