San Luis Obispo experiences lowest number of noise complaints on record
–San Luis Obispo City experienced the lowest number of noise complaints on record in 2017 (less than 1,500) – an overall reduction of more than 40-percent since 1998.
Over the past 25 years, the city has implemented several initiatives to manage neighborhood noise, including adopting noise and unruly gathering ordinances, establishing Safety Enhancement Zones for holidays such as Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day, and forming both a Neighborhood Wellness/Community Civility Working Group and Neighborhood Officer Program.
In 2017, the SLO Police Department unveiled a pilot program aimed at encouraging students to register events in advance to potentially avoid fines for noise and other violations. Since inception, the police department has received 46 party registrations, approved 34 of those registrations, and issued no citations. Police did make five warning phone calls for noise complaints at registered parties.
In turn, Cal Poly has expanded efforts to promote neighborhood wellness and hold students accountable for off-campus behavior, including noise. Through its Noise Awareness Campaign and the Educated Renter Certificate Program (ERCP), the university has distributed information about SLO City ordinances and being a responsible party host to students interested in moving off campus. It has encouraged community involvement by students through events such as Good Neighbor Day and Cleanup Week and has established proactive outreach to student leaders within student government, fraternity and sorority life, and clubs and organizations. The university remains in constant communication with the neighborhood wellness liaison to address incidents as they arise.
For more information about City noise ordinances and neighborhood outreach, please visit http://slocity.org/government/department-directory/police-department/neighborhood-outreach.
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