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Mount Vernon Resident Wants Noise Law Enforced

MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. – Rich Avenue resident Kim Tinsley is upset that the city is not enforcing its noise ordinance as effectively as it could be.

Tinsley brought the issue before the Mount Vernon City Council last week, stating that she called the police Sept. 9 because her neighbor was having a loud party. Tinsley said the police showed up but, when they left, the noise resumed. By Thursday, she said, she had still not heard back regarding her complaint.

“It was so loud that I couldn’t hear the officer’s name on the phone who was trying to help me,” Tinsley said. “When the officer left, the noise continued and nothing was done.”

Mount Vernon’s noise ordinance states that the city has the power to “prevent unnecessary or unusually loud noise which may jeopardize the well-being or health or welfare of its citizens or degrade the quality of life.” This includes radios, which Tinsley said  have been the main source of the “excessive” noise, along with live music.

City Councilman J. Yuhanna Edwards, co-chair of the Public Safety and Codes Committee, said he experiences the same kind of noise where he lives, adding that it is the city’s responsibility to enforce the law.

“We shouldn’t ticket someone the first time, but they should get a warning because it is a law and we’re supposed to abide by it,” Edwards said.

Councilman Richard Thomas said the city needs to ask why penalties are not being levied on people in violation of the noise ordinance, adding that the police need to do a better job of enforcing it. Tinsley said she is willing to help raise money for the police department to buy decibel meters if need be.

“My biggest question is why I have to put up with this and fight for the quality of life I’m entitled to as a citizen of Mount Vernon according to the municipal code,” Tinsley said. “If there is something I can do, let me know because I’ll be happy to do it.”

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