BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — That thump, thump, thump may be music to your ears, but if your playing it too loudly from your car, Starke Police Department will soon be issuing citations.
Police Chief Jeff Johnson told the commission Tuesday night that with the governor’s support, police across the state will be able to crack down on loud music from vehicles disturbing the peace.
While many communities have noise ordinances, this statute trades permissive time periods for 24-hour enforcement.
The law prohibits plainly audible music 25 feet or further from a vehicle.
It also prohibits loud music in areas adjoining churches, schools and hospitals.
Violation of the law is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation.
Johnson said citations won’t begin immediately. Officers will first begin with warnings. Commissioners, however, don’t want the grace period to last too long, since they are the ones hearing residents’ complaints.
