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Police say muffler ordinance, not decibel meters, is practical tool for loud‑vehicle enforcement
Summary
Laramie police told the City Council that decibel‑based Chapter 8 enforcement is technically difficult (ANSI meters, wind limits, certification), so officers rely on the traffic‑code muffler standard and traffic enforcement; councilors and a public commenter urged more visible patrols.
Laramie police briefed the City Council on Nov. 25 about how they handle complaints of loud vehicles and why the department rarely uses the city’s decibel‑based noise code in favor of a practical traffic‑code muffler standard.
Assistant Chief Ton Smith told council that city records show roughly 30 loud‑vehicle complaints in 2023, 35 in 2024 and 20 through September 2025, while citations under the vehicle/muffler regulation were 6, 1 and 3 over the same periods. Smith said dispatch‑to‑response delays frequently mean officers cannot locate the vehicle and thus cannot issue a citation.
Smith explained two enforcement paths: Chapter 8’s decibel‑based noise ordinance requires…
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