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Council discusses police staffing, engine-braking enforcement and use of existing ordinances
Summary
Council and staff discussed police scheduling challenges, the retirement of an employee named Carmichael, and approaches to enforcing loud exhaust violations using existing disorderly conduct and nuisance rules rather than a new city ordinance.
Council members and police leadership discussed staffing and scheduling for the police department, noise from engine braking, and enforcement options.
Council members raised concerns about officer schedules and night-shift staffing; staff and the police chief said the department uses sign-up sheets and seniority to assign shifts and that scheduling can be difficult for new hires. The meeting noted an employee, Carmichael, has a last day on the 17th.
On noise enforcement, staff said they researched other jurisdictions and found Omaha had a lengthy ordinance addressing loud exhaust systems but that such ordinances can be complicated and difficult to enforce. A staff member said decibel meters are impractical for local enforcement and recommended using existing state/local laws for disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace or general nuisance to address violations. The chief said officers have been making traffic stops for engine-braking violations and that enforcement has been occurring.
No new local ordinance was proposed; the council and staff discussed relying on current statutes and ordinances and exercising existing enforcement tools. Council members urged continued enforcement and asked staff to act where possible.
