DeKalb County may get a little quieter.
A stricter noise policy adopted Tuesday could result in fines or even jail time for hosts of loud parties, owners of barking dogs and even parents of excessively loud children.
The DeKalb County Commission approved the change, clearing the county’s 1,000 police officers to write noise citations.
Previously, only the county’s 23 code enforcement officers could write the noise violation tickets, Commissioner Jeff Rader said.
“It used to be that only the officers with the noise meter could write a ticket for a violation,” Rader told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Now the standard is audible. An officer needs to just use his own equipment, his ears.”
Rader drafted the ordinance after getting more complaints from residents about loud parties and car stereos.
Residents would call 911 to complain, but there was little a responding officer could do. Often, those complaining had to wait several hours for a code enforcement officer to be available, and by then the disturbance was usually gone.
Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton said she was also receiving complaints because the bass from a loud stereo was not registering on the sound meter.
“Without the equipment, there were limited options for us,” DeKalb Police spokesman Officer Jason Gagnon said. “Now, any of our officers can determine if the noise is disturbing a neighborhood and issue a citation. It’s part of our efforts to ensure quality of life.”
The changes are only for residential areas between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Officers still must use a noise meter before issuing a citation to a bar, restaurant or other business, Rader said.
The new policy also covers loud noises that can be heard in common areas in apartments and other housing, including stairways, elevators, lobbies, laundry rooms and parking garages.
Sutton said she encourages officers to give warnings before writing tickets.
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