Arkansas City, KS

Police step up enforcement of thumpers

By KATHY KENDRICK

Traveler Correspondent

As summer draws nearer, some motorists are rolling down their car windows

and sharing their personal choice of music with everyone they pass.

For those who choose to blast their car stereos, rattling windows and waking

people from their sleep, the loud guitars and pulsing bass beats could cost

them.

Police are stepping up their enforcement of those violating a noise

ordinance by blaring car stereos.

"We are enforcing the loud music ordinance, and we are starting to write

more tickets," Arkansas City Police Chief Dan Givens said.

As the weather gets warmer, police hear more complaints of vibrating windows

and the loud thumping of bass units interrupting residents' sleep, Givens

said. His officers are stepping up their efforts to find and fine these

discourteous drivers.

The offense falls under the disorderly conduct code, and those caught

cranking their music will be fined anywhere from $160 for a first-time

offense up to $260, including court costs.

Tickets may be issued when the music on a vehicle can be heard from 50 feet

away. Givens said the department issued at least seven tickets for the

offense last year.

Although many find the loud music coming from vehicles annoying, Givens

said, these drivers may also be endangering themselves and others.

One case last winter illustrates his point, he said.

A fire department pickup truck, on its way to a grass fire, collided with

another vehicle whose driver had been blaring the stereo, Givens said.

The firefighters were heading northbound on Summit Street with red lights

and sirens on. As they approached the intersection with Kansas Avenue a

pickup pulled into the intersection.

According to police reports, the driver was listening to loud music and may

not have been able to hear the sirens. He was cited for failure to yield the

right of way to an emergency vehicle, inattentive driving and minor in

consumption of alcohol.

"As we investigated the accident, we had to turn the key in the vehicle and

we were almost blown away by the volume of the music," Givens said.

The incident ended without any injuries and fire crews were able to

extinguish the fire.