UPDATED TRANSCRIPT:
Concerns of loitering, disorderly behavior, loud noise and open carry were discussed at a Quincy Police department community meeting Thursday. Many neighbors shared firsthand accounts of these issues. The Chief of Police said they are actively implementing strategies to address these concerns.
Thursday night, Quincy neighbors shared their concerns from noise issues to loitering, and fighting.
"I had to turn up the TV in my house to drown out what was going on, way over on Jefferson," said one neighbor.
"The music is so loud it’s shaking my entire house, like how am I supposed to sleep with this," said another.
Richard Massey was one of those concerned with open containers, loud music, and loitering. Massey said he's been dealing with these problems for several years.
"When I was young, I played loud music also," said Massey. "But I just think that people need to understand to have respect for other people that, you know, there's people living in these areas that they want to have just peace and quiet."
Massey said he wants to see the ordinances that are in place, to address these problems, be enforced.
Chief of Police Carlos A. Hill said that's exactly why he's focused on revising these ordinances.
"The biggest thing is updating ordinances to match what we're doing today," said Hill.
Right now, Hill said the ordinances do not allow police to enforce as much as they would like to.
"So we're changing to where we can do, be a little bit more aggressive," said Hill.
Hill has drafted a revised ordinance that would include greater fines and possibly jail time.
Massey said he's happy to see these ordinances brought up to date and hopes the community remains committed to addressing the issues.
"I think if we had more community involvement and let people speak their mind and let the authorities know that, you know, we're tired of the misbehavior," said Massey.
The Chief said he will present the revised noise ordinance, along with neighbor feedback, to the City Council at Tuesday's meeting. Hill said the ordinance must be discussed in 3 separate meetings before it can pass.
ORIGINAL:
Tonight, Quincy's Police Department will engage in conversation with neighbors about noise complaints at a Citizens Advisory Council meeting . It's being held at 7:00 p.m..
- The complaints stem from the hangout spot known as "DA Block" on South Adams Street.
- Chief of Police Carlos A. Hill said it has been an almost decade-long problem.
- Watch the video to hear from the Chief about solutions to these complaints and why he wants the community to attend Thursday's meeting.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Concerns are growing louder over a noise issue in one Gadsden County community. In Quincy, a conversation is happening to talk about those issues impacting neighbors here.
"DA Block", a popular hang out, on South Adams Street in Quincy is the culprit behind multiple noise complaints in the neighborhood.
"We've had several years of noise complaints there dating back, I know since I've been working here almost 10 years ago," said Carlos A. Hill, Chief of Police at the Quincy Police Department.
A decade-long problem Chief of Police Carlos A. Hill said they're trying to correct.
Recently the Quincy Police Department put out a notice stating they would be enforcing more laws in the area including Open Containers of Alcohol and Loitering.
Now, the Chief said they're taking it one step further — they're trying to change the noise ordinance.
"It's gonna increase the fines that we were definitely looking at increasing that and then also it just gives law enforcement the ability to, as soon as we see it, we can react on it instead of getting a complaint in," said Hill.
But, before taking the revised ordinance to City Council on Tuesday, the Chief said they want to hear from neighbors at Thursday's Citizen's Advisory Council meeting.
"I want them to be able to review the new ordinance," said Hill. "Are we being too strict? Are we being you know too lenient? And so I just want some feedback from them so when we do speak on Tuesday to the commission that we'll have that information and I can present it to the commission as well."
The meeting will begin at 7 pm at the Joe Ferolito Recreation Center on North Graves Street.
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