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Hampton police report rise in noise enforcement; department says decibel meters not required
Summary
The police chief reported an uptick in vehicle noise enforcement and told council officers are successfully prosecuting violations without portable decibel meters, which create calibration and access challenges. The department gave enforcement counts for recent years.
Chief Weidman reported to council that enforcement of the city’s vehicle noise ordinance has increased after reduced activity during the COVID period, saying officers have relied primarily on observation and testimony rather than deploying decibel meters. He provided year‑by‑year enforcement figures: 9 enforcement actions in 2021, 6 in 2022, 15 in 2023 and 5 so far this year, and added, "we're effectively enforcing it without decimeters."
The chief explained practical challenges with decibel meters, including calibration and the need to have meters immediately accessible to an officer at the moment of observation; he said officers routinely establish violations using landmarks, distance and testimony, and that prosecutions have been successful with that approach. Councilmembers asked whether the department needed budgeted equipment; the chief said current practice is adequate but discussed tradeoffs and training considerations.
