Summer is officially here, and City residents should be able to enjoy the afternon on their patio, or open up their windows to let the breeze in without the nuisance of loud car stereos. Due to the mobility of offending vehicles, and the inherent time delay in reporitng such disturbances, it is very difficult for police to respond to an area quickly enough to issue a citation after a citizen complaint.
To address this problem, Madison General Ordinances allow a citizen to file a written complaint for radios or other electronic sound ampflication devices that are audible from a vehicle at a distance of 75 feet or greater. Citations can later be issued by police to the registered owner of the vehicle, regardless of who was operating the vehicle at the time of the offense. The citizen-reporting method has proven to be an effective way to deal with this important quality of life issue.
In order to submit reports for loud stereo violations, citizens must attend a brief training session on the requirements of the reporting process. There will be a training session offered on July 29, 2013 at 7pm at the West District station. For more information, please contact Officer Caleb Johnson at cjohnson@cityofmadison.com or 520-6461.