HOUSTON, Texas – The Houston Police Department’s south-central officers are receiving a new tool to address noise issues in their area.
Councilmember Carolyn Evans-Shabazz said her office purchased ten new sound meters for police with district service funds. The cost was around $533 each, Evans-Shabazz said.
“These sound meters will help deter the bad actors, the ones that are not adhering to the ordinances and fail to remember their business is located in a mixed-use community,” she added.
Evans-Shabazz said most of the noise complaints in her district are related to clubs and nightlife, but they come from other places as well.
“This equipment will give us more of an opportunity to be proactive, to go out there and talk with the business owners, residential communities about their noise, and at least give them I would say a point of reference as far as how they should manage their noise so that they can be a good neighbor,” said HPD Commander Caroleta Johnson.
Police said with the old meters, they constantly had to have them calibrated. Now, they have the calibration machines so they believe that will speed things up and help keep them out on the streets.
“Ideally, the goal is to put every single sound meter in every single patrol car so our officers can respond to every single noise call, noise pollution call, and objectively, without bias, enforce the law,” said HPD Asst. Chief Ban Tien.