Editorial

Cape police dealing with noise, street parties

It's a complaint that becomes common when the weather gets warmer and some Cape Girardeans take to the streets for impromptu parties:

Why don't the police do something about all the noise?

The short answer is that the police are indeed responding to that problem as well as the issue of people who choose to walk in the middle of the street and block traffic instead of staying on the sidewalks that have been provided.

Oftentimes this happens late at night after the bars close. The city's late-night drinkers spill onto the street, and the police force is busy with all sorts of related issues in addition to the street parties and blocked traffic.

Both of those actions violate city ordinances and can result in tickets and fines. Police chief Steve Strong recently told the city council that his officers wrote 27 tickets for noise violations in three weeks. Most involved loud music coming from cars.

Residents should be appreciative that the police are paying attention to the problem even though their resources are stretched thin. With continued attention, these problems might not escalate into larger ones, and all residents can have a safe and peaceful summer.

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