NCJ Number
227123
Journal
THE POLICE CHIEF Volume: 76 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2009 Pages: 46-49
Date Published
May 2009
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes the Golden (Colorado) Police Department's noise reduction strategy undertaken to address the public's concern over vehicle noise.
Abstract
To address the public's concern over vehicle noise, specifically due to modified exhaust systems, which had grown in intensity in the City of Golden, CO, the Golden Police Department (GPD) began by analyzing the problem which included three areas of police service provisions: education, engineering, and enforcement. The analytical process had to focus on qualitative as opposed to quantitative measures since vehicle noise is transitory in nature. The first step in realizing the community's expressed desire to reduce noise was to identify the reasons that so many vehicles with modified exhaust systems were coming into Golden. The GPD also understood that to effect change the population/community would need to be engaged. The result of the analysis of the problem was the GPD's creation of the Silence-is-Golden: Ride and Drive Community-Friendly Partnership. Each community partner provided unique suggestions in the collective creation of the problem-solving model program. Through this cooperative effort, partnership businesses are accepting their role in sharing community values; customized-vehicle motorists are shown how they affect the broader community; and the GPD has learned that effective solutions require the whole community. This cooperative effort has begun to contain and reduce flagrant displays of loud exhaust.