Noise noise noise

apollonia666 · June 2006

*Sigh*... as much as I love my apartment, now that we've had a few warm weekend nights I'm dreading this summer on my block (Bergen between Classon and Grand).

Saturday night I had to call 911 at around 1:30 in the morning because of some crackhead who'd been repeatedly screeching someone's name a couple doors down for almost an hour -- trying to get the person to come out of his/her apartment, I'm guessing, although exactly what she was yelling was unintelligible. I was trying to just put up with it, but then I heard her move right in front of my building and I looked out just as she jumped on some guy who was walking by and started pounding him with her fists. To their credit, the cops got there very quickly. I don't know whether they hauled her off, but she finally quit screaming.

That's an extreme example so I didn't hesitate to call the police at all but I'm wondering how others in the neighborhood deal with less violent noise. Most folks on the block generally seem to quiet down at a reasonable hour, but many nights people blare music from their houses or from their car stereos or stand around talking loudly right outside my window, and some idiot last night was using a power saw at midnight.

I guess it'll be better once I'm able to get my air conditioner installed in my bedroom window, but right now, while I have to have the window open, I find I'm being kept up by noise at least a couple of nights a week. I don't want to be some annoying newcomer to the neighborhood complaining about every little thing, but there seems to be a definite cluelessness about common courtesy that's really annoying.

Any suggestions on dealing with noise on your block? Does it do any good to holler out your window for people to shut up? Are the cops at all responsive about run-of-the-mill noise complaints?

anonymous · June 2006

Subject: Re: Noise noise noise

apollonia666 wrote: Are the cops at all responsive about run-of-the-mill noise complaints?

It really depends on how the day is going for them. If they don't have any other high priority calls then yes they will respond quickly, but if someone is getting raped, killed, or something like that then we only have to expect them to respond to those calls first. I think that all of the newcomers need to get more involved in the precinct council. They don't meet again until September but be ready to just jump right in. We need new blood in the 77th precinct council. The current board only does what Mr. Caldwell tells them to do. During the election no one ran against him so he just won again but if we get you guys to come and keep coming to his meetings then we could get him out. The meetings suck. He deals with a lot of BULLSHIT before the real issues. We need more people to speak out in the meetings.

Lets get rid of him for good. He doesn't have the community at heart. He is only out for himself and his ghetto wife.

alafairnadia · June 2006

if you call 911 for a noise complaint you'll get transferred to 311. you need to add in some sort of violence or child endangerment blah to get 911 to pay attention. I advocate lying.

anonymous · June 2006

alafairnadia wrote: if you call 911 for a noise complaint you'll get transferred to 311. you need to add in some sort of violence or child endangerment blah to get 911 to pay attention. I advocate lying.

Thats really smart. When the calls for a real emergency is going on and they don't get the attention that they need you will be to blame.

homeowner · June 2006

My first year here, I was outside almost every night to ask folks to quiet down. Most of the time it was a "Can y'all keep it down because my bedroom is RIGHT THERE and you guys woke me up" kind of approach. Several times I flew out of the door (probably looking very insane) as I was awoken from a sound sleep. Probably every third or fourth time I called 311.

The combination of polite requests, mad rants and police intervention didn't seem to make much of an impact originally, but folks finally got the hint that they couldn't hang in front of my house any more. Today I still have noisy neighbors, and my rule has become I don't pick up the phone to make a noise complaint unless its 1) after midnight, 2) continues for more than ten minutes, and 3) sounds like its never going to stop. I also go to the block association meetings and talk about the noise issues there.

BTW, Mr Caldwell is also very involved in BUILD (for all you anti AY folks).

bojolais · June 2006

Subject: noise

I do not think you should lie about how serious an incident is happening but I agree about the noise. On saturday, a black SUV sat across from my house on St. John's BLARING music, then two houses down a group of people were blaring music equally as loudly and it was miserable. Since I have only been in the nabe for a few weeks I don't want to be the annoying newcomer either but it is pretty bad. (neither party could actually hear their music). I plan on going to the precinct meetings, I wish there were one sooner. And I call 311 if it's after 11 at night, otherwise I don't call. But I may get more ornery after living there longer...

homeowner · June 2006

One of the things I heard at the block association meeting was that the precint commander was instituting a zero tolerance policy for speakers outside of houses. Word is that the cops will be confiscating speakers if they are outside.

Supposedly, this will extend to the block parties as well and folks will need permits if they want to hook up speakers in the front yard.

jaha127 · June 2006

Subject: Re: Noise noise noise

I actually heard that powersaw last night and was thinking it was from one of the garages across the street...

Its crazy that I hear the yelling as clear as ever and I am on the top floor... keep calling 311/911 and hopefully they will help. I will start calling too... maybe if more than one person is complaining then they will respond faster.

ben · June 2006

definitely keep calling and make note of it if you can. It will help at block association meetings or community board meetings to be able to reference the number of incidents that were reported.

Change won't happen over night but if you say nothing it won't happen at all. The more calls, the more voices, and the more contact with local officials on the issue the more change you will see.

armchair_warrior · June 2006

just take pictures of them and post them on the net and all over the hood with wanted poster like things for noise problems. should embrass them.

capt. planet · June 2006

homeowner wrote: One of the things I heard at the block association meeting was that the precint commander was instituting a zero tolerance policy for speakers outside of houses. Word is that the cops will be confiscating speakers if they are outside.

Supposedly, this will extend to the block parties as well and folks will need permits if they want to hook up speakers in the front yard.

Noise complaints are nothing new to Crown Heights. When I managed a building on Bedford and Prospect Place 10 years ago the number one beef among owners in the building was noise. Some folks just can't understand their need for loud music makes other people crazy.

But as you note, apparently the police are now on the side of the anti-noise crowd. I hope they stick to this policy, because I think that excessive noise probably the number one quality of life problem right now in Crown Heights, as least a this time of year.

cowgirly · June 2006

The last few times the noise on my street was unbearable (late, loud and incessant) I skipped 311 altogether and called the 77th directly: (718) 735-0611

Either they actually showed up and got my neighbors to turn the music down, or I just fell asleep from sheer exhaustion. Either way, it worked.

anonymous · June 2006

cowgirly wrote: The last few times the noise on my street was unbearable (late, loud and incessant) I skipped 311 altogether and called the 77th directly: (718) 735-0611

Either they actually showed up and got my neighbors to turn the music down, or I just fell asleep from sheer exhaustion. Either way, it worked.

I feel like you should still call 311 so that the calls are logged. After 311 call the precinct directly.

quig · June 2006

9:36 guest - I agree with you on the police priority part. Also, Mr. Caldwell's sometime use of the meetings as a "bully pulpit". Granted being president makes it his meeting. For the most part, IMO he's done a pretty good job. Would I run the meetings differently? Sure. Would I like the job? Nope. As a whole it's a thankless gig.

If you want to run the show get on the board. I think that "new blood" would benefit the community council.

What gives with calling his wife "ghetto" (define please...)? Ms. Caldwell has always been incredibly warm with me and my family. I think that the mods should edit it as a personal attack.

carnivore · June 2006

quig wrote: What gives with calling his wife "ghetto" (define please...)? Ms. Caldwell has always been incredibly warm with me and my family. I think that the mods should edit it as a personal attack.

I was considering that, but I think it reflects more on the poster than on Mr. Caldwell or his wife. If I edited that, people might give the rest of the poster's comments more respect than they deserve.

jaha127 · June 2006

Carnivore wrote: [quote=quig]What gives with calling his wife "ghetto" (define please...)? Ms. Caldwell has always been incredibly warm with me and my family. I think that the mods should edit it as a personal attack.

I was considering that, but I think it reflects more on the poster than on Mr. Caldwell or his wife. If I edited that, people might give the rest of the poster's comments more respect than they deserve.

This "Guest" obviously has a personal issue with Mr. Caldwell and family... look at their other comments

http://www.brooklynian.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3812

sje · June 2006

I just moved to Sterling between Franklin and Bedford. For the most part, it's pretty quiet here, or if it isn't the noise doesn't last very long, but last Saturday night, my neighbor 3 doors down had a party in their backyard, with music so loud I couldn't hear myself talk on the phone in my own apt. Being new here, I also feel like I'm not going to come in and change the culture right away, and it was a Saturday night. I just dealt with it as best I could, and the party wound down around 1am {it started around 8}.

I have to wonder though, are those people deaf? It was so loud, it was PAINFUL. I just don't get the advantage to having it that loud, and of course it reverberated through the entire blocks backyards. sigh.

Noise noise noise

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