CLEVELAND — Homeowners living near Luke Easter Park on Cleveland's east side are fed up with a growing number of drive-up parties and loud music taking place at city parks.
Homeowners, who were too afraid to be identified, contacted News 5 and sent us their cellphone videos of cars, trucks and SUVs gathering and playing loud booming music at all hours of the day and night. The video shows Fourth District Cleveland Police responding to the scene, but the loud music continued less than an hour after officers left the park.
Homeowners told News 5 the growing problem has been going on for more than a year, and they're hoping police will step up enforcement in the coming weeks.
“It’s causing me anxiety; when the noise isn’t happening, I’m anticipating — when is the boom-boom is going to start?" one homeowner said. “The police ride right by me, they don’t care, so it will just continue, it will escalate. I definitely believe crime starts with noise pollution and littering.”
Cleveland's noise ordinance states a vehicle cannot produce sound over 95 decibels as measured not less than five feet from the source of such sound or noise.
“Police need to write the citations, put up the signs, the noise ordinance, hey there’s humans that live here," said one homeowner. “I’ve been wanting to move, I’ve been wanting to sell my home or rent it out, but I’m afraid a renter might say 'I’m out of here, this is too noisy.'”
Ward 4 Cleveland Councilwoman Deborah Gray told News she's received noise complaints from multiple homeowners and said she too can hear the loud music disturbing the peace at her home.
"You've got one SUV opened up with the stereos in the back, and the noise is loud, you got the other cars surrounding that car with their radios blasting," Gray said. “That’s what all the residents are dealing with, it’s more massive now than it ever has been.”
Gray said she'll contact the fourth district Cleveland police commander in the coming days to see what more can be done to chase down violators. Gray told News 5 she'll also call on the Cleveland Director of Public Works to see if noise ordinance signage can be added to parks coping with chronic loud music issues.
“It’s unfortunate that we have people coming from other areas, coming to this park and playing the blasting music like everyone wants to hear it," Gray said. “You’re disrespecting the residents who live in this community, we don’t have a problem with you playing your music, but not everyone wants to hear it.”
Gray said first-time violators of the Cleveland noise ordinance may be subject to a $75 fine; repeat offenders could be issued up to a $500 fine for each violation.
Gray urged homeowners to report loud music to her office, call the police, or call the 3-1-1 system at city hall.
“It’s a quality of life issue, it just gets under your skin and you can’t even tolerate even the first beat," Gray said. “This is a public park and that’s the law, people can come to the park, hang out and have a good time, but as we say that noise is above the acceptable level."
News 5 is committed to following through on this developing story.
