Danbury debuts the “Noise Buster” to crack down on disorderly sound

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DANBURY - The city’s new noise ordinance now in force has more going for it than mere novelty.

It has personality.

Newly-appointed Noise Control Officer Edwin Duran and a colleague to be hired soon will be the face of a sound ordinance that will be enforced without meters.

They will drive around in a cruiser known as the Noise Buster, complete with black-and-yellow hazard stripes, an anti-loud speaker logo, and a “Who Ya Gonna Call” slogan painted in red across the doors.

It’s the most conspicuous thing you’ve ever seen.

“That’s the point,” said Mayor Mark Boughton, who designed the Noise Buster. “It helps raise awareness about the issue of noise, and being respectful.”

Under the novel ordinance, the first of its kind in Connecticut, noise control officers and city police are authorized to use their trained ears to detect a noise violation - a technique called the plainly audible standard.

The idea is to crack down on disorderly sound from car speakers blasting concert-force music, and from nightclubs that don’t respect their neighbors’ need for peace.

The city is not interested in stopping spontaneous celebrations or outdoor revelers who party reasonably, Mayor Mark Boughton said.

“We are talking about music that is so loud it pierces the house,” Boughton said. “We say if you have it on 10, turn it down to eight. It doesn’t mean people can’t have a good time.”

The city’s old noise ordinance, which had been in place for three decades, barred noise on residential streets louder than 55 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night.

A conversation heard from three feet away registers 60 decibels, the federal government says.

Danbury’s new ordinance replaces the decibels definition with trained ears - the so-called plainly audible standard.

The city held a public hearing in March. The mayor also battled some of his followers on Twitter who challenged the idea.

Fines start at $25 after a warning.

The noise ordinance is part of City Hall’s recent push to improve the quality of life in the fastest growing city in Connecticut.

The city has put initiatives in place to limit littering, panhandling, raucous yard parties, and excessive signs in display windows, among other things.

Duran and his partner will be part-time officers who will work on weekends in areas where noise complaints are a problem, such as Rogers Park.

“He will be armed with a walkie-talkie and he will have a citation book with him,” Boughton said during a swearing-in of Duran Wednesday at City Hall. “The first thing he will do is have a discussion and if that doesn’t work out, it will escalate into a citation.”