Police Force receives 25 Noise Meters to clamp down on noise nuisances

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) will be increasing its efforts to eliminate noise nuisances following the receipt of 25 Noise Meters on Wednesday. The REED R8080 Data Logging Sound Level Meters with Bargraph was donated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a simple yet significant ceremony at the Officers Training Centre, Eve Leary.

EPA’s Legal Officer, Ms. Shareefah Parks, presented the Noise Meters to Acting Commissioner of Police Mr. Clifton Hicken.

The donation follows a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed on Monday, May 16, 2022, between the GPF and EPA. The agreement covers training and enforcement of noise management.

Lauding the gesture exhibited by the EPA, Mr. Hicken noted that noise pollution is a topical issue in our society and the meters will aid the Force in noise management and complaints of noise nuisance.

The Top Cop asserted that “members of the public can look out for the Guyana Police Force’s proactive arrangement in terms of dealing with noise pollution, which is expected to bring some degree of relief.”

The REED R8080 Data Logging Sound Level Meter has a quick responding triple range sound level meter with a backlit display, analog bargraph, and built-in memory to data log up to 64,000 points. It also has the ability to record samples on internal memory and keep track of registered readings with a time and date stamp. Calibration is an essential part of the necessary maintenance, and this will be done every three months.

A one-day training session is currently being conducted by the EPA on Noise Management, with police ranks from various divisions. The training includes “a hands-on approach” to using the noise meter as well as case studies.

Noise pollution impacts millions of people on a daily basis. The most common health problem it causes is Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). Exposure to loud noises can also cause high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disturbances, and stress.

Also present at the handing over ceremony was Deputy Commissioner Administration (ag) Mr. Calvin Brutus, Deputy Commissioner Law Enforcement (ag) Mr. Wendell Blanhum, Head of Special Branch Mr. Errol Watts, Senior Environmental Officer, Head Complaints Mr. Surjpaul Singh, Senior Environmental Officer Candacie Brower-Thompson, Senior Environmental Officer Tashana Redmond and Environmental Officer Tethram Persaud.