Does Milford Need a Noise Ordinance?

Does Milford need a noise ordinance? For years, and periodically elected officials have broached the topic of whether Milford should adopt a noise ordinance.

Every time the issue has come up it hasn’t happened.

Well the topic was broached briefly at a Police Board of Commissioners meeting, according to meeting minutes.

Here is what the minutes state about a possible noise ordinance.

Comm. Richard Smith directed comments to the recurrent comments received regarding adoption of a noise ordinance and he added that he realized it would be difficult to enforce such an ordinance.

He stated residents have told him that when an officer is called due to such a complaint, the resident is told that there is nothing the department can do because there is no noise ordinance on the books. He suggested the officers perhaps should communicate differently to the person making the complaint.

Chief Keith Mello felt an officer’s response may be misconstrued in such incidents adding the department’s responsibility is to make an objective analysis as to what is reasonable and take an approach to consider the time of day, if it is a weekend and other contributing factors before it is determined a situation is unreasonably loud.

He stated he would be surprised to learn that an officer would respond that they cannot do anything because there is not a noise ordinance in place adding there are state statutes which allow local departments to handle loud or excessive noises but if the city did have a noise ordinance passed, devices would need to be purchased and officers trained on how to use those devices in order to enforce it.

Would you like the city to adopt a noise ordinance? Share your thoughts in the comments section.