Choppins woman cries out for help over loud music

A woman from the community of Top Yard, Choppins, is crying out to the authorities to assist her in stopping her neighbours from playing extremely loud music, both day and night.

The angry resident, who openly wept when she visited SEARCHLIGHT on Monday, said that she is completely fed up and confused and she does not know where to turn to for help.

“I want an end to this problem, I went to the Commissioner of Police, I went to the Deputy Commissioner, I went to a lawyer, I went to the head of the Criminal Investigation Department… I don’t know who else to go to and this problem keep… it seems to be going nowhere and I don’t know who else to go to,” said the woman, who prefers to remain anonymous for fear that the owners of the sound system would spite her by making the music even louder.

She said that she has called the police numerous times to investigate the noise pollution, but the culprits see when the police are coming and turn down the stereo system. She has also paid a lawyer to address the situation, but she says that the lawyer has done nothing to help her and once even told her that she was harassing her when she asked what was being done.

The Choppins resident said that the constant bass from the loud music rattles her house roof and windows and she thinks that it is also the cause of her cracked flooring.

“It’s almost five years I have been having this problem,” said the crying woman. “These people live very, very, very close to me and it’s overbearing; this amplified music affects me, it vibrates my house”.

She said that she usually has to leave her house when the music starts.

“I can’t even count the amount of times I went to the police,” said the confused woman, who added that last year December 29, the music was played so loudly that the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) came, but when they left, her neighbours turned the music back up.

“I don’t know who to report this matter to again, I never spend a Christmas in my house. I have to sleep in people house when night-time come. The bass rolling constantly, every single night… that is spite… that is deliberate,” said the crying woman.

She said that the neighbours are taking her complaints as a joke.

“I can’t understand, where is the human rights?” stressed the woman.

In 1988, this country instituted a Noise Act, piloted by then Attorney General, Parnell Campbell. The Noise Act is incorporated into the Revised Laws of St Vincent and the Grenadines, 2009, Chapter 389.