Council hears police on mufflers, enforcement options as residents report loud exhausts
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Summary
Council discussed enforcement of noisy mufflers and equipment violations. Police said state law and a local ordinance prohibit excessive noise but enforcement is often a discretionary, time-sensitive challenge; officers were asked to document incidents more consistently.
Mount Pleasant council members on July 21 discussed complaints about loud vehicle mufflers and racing after residents raised quality-of-life concerns.
Chief of Police explained officers can enforce a state statute and a city ordinance that require motor vehicles to have a muffler that prevents excessive noise, and they can also issue equipment-violation citations when required vehicle equipment is inoperative. The chief said officers historically issue more equipment citations and warnings than muffler citations and advised that documenting muffler incidents in citation notes helps the court and the department track the problem.
The chief noted enforcement practicalities: measuring noise with a decibel meter while a vehicle is moving is difficult and some cities that set an 85 dB limit create enforcement challenges. He said the department encourages officers to target enforcement in known problem areas (downtown corridors and certain neighborhoods), and that officers have performed special enforcement during past summers to address racing and other dangerous driving.
Several council members and citizens described instances of loud vehicles in residential areas and downtown that rattle windows and disturb sleep. The chief asked residents to log dates and times for repeat incidents so officers can target enforcement effectively.
No ordinance change or formal policy vote occurred; council directed police to continue enforcement, emphasize documentation of muffler/equipment problems in citation notes and to use targeted enforcement when patterns emerge.