By Alex Ginsberg
Cops in the 105th Precinct will launch an aggressive campaign against loud backyard parties this summer in an effort to address a quality-of-life issue that has angered many in Rosedale, Queens Village and other neighborhoods in eastern Queens.
Deputy Inspector Michael Bryan, commanding officer of the precinct, said officers follow a “zero tolerance” policy that means issuing summonses without first asking offenders to lower the volume.
“I want to give the community fair warning,” Bryan said. “I don't want this to be a shock or a surprise. We're not about breaking up parties and ruining people's fun. This is a serious quality-of-life concern, and we're going to address it in that matter.”
Bryan said the new zero tolerance policy was put into effect because verbal warnings had often been ignored in the past and cops ended up returning to the same parties hours later.
According to the Queens district attorney's office, penalties can range from $45 to $10,500. Judges, however, have considerable leeway in deciding the fines, and Bryan said most are between $50 and $150.
This year's crackdown will also include more manpower than was allocated previously – two sergeants and eight police officers, all equipped with cellular phones and their own vehicles, who will work exclusively on the noise issue. Teams will work five nights a week including weekends, from 5:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.
The program, which officially began Memorial Day weekend, will run through mid-September, Bryan said.
The deputy inspector added that despite the hard line, it was important for the officers – whom he personally trains – to deal with noise complaints with patience and respect.
“I explained to them that when they handle these things, people having a party are not necessarily bad people,” he said. “They're probably not going to be glad to see us there. Use tact and explain what the justification is.”
The effort comes as a response to repeated complaints from civic associations in the southern end of the precinct, in particular Rosedale and Queens Village. Bryan said it was not unusual for police to respond to as many as 50 noise complaints on a weekend night when the weather is pleasant. Although some complaints trickle in from Glen Oaks and Bellerose, most of the complaints are centered in the southern end of the precinct.
“When I tell you loud, I mean really loud,” Bryan said. “When we get the address, once we get on the block, we don't even need the number anymore. We just follow the noise.”
The 105th Precinct includes New Hyde Park, Glen Oaks, Bellerose, Queens Village, Cambria Heights, Laurelton, Rosedale and Springfield Gardens.
Civic association leaders in both Rosedale and Queens Village described the problem as rampant, with yard parties featuring commercial-grade speakers nearly 5 feet tall blaring music loud enough to rattle windows a block away.
“I do hope that Deputy Inspector Bryan comes down really hard,” said Nagassar Ramgarib, president of the Queens Village Civic Association, a member of Community Board 13 and a vice president of the Queens Civic Congress. “I live here and three houses from where I live Friday evenings they crank up music nonstop until Sunday at 3 or 4 in the morning. And it's loud.”
Fred Kress, president of the Rosedale Civic Association, also wholeheartedly supported the precinct's efforts. But he said his organization was also taking action of its own, distributing 10,000 fliers to area residents informing them that loud parties “are assaults against this community's quality of life, and they are also against the law.” The flyers also include numbers to call to report noise pollution.
“This is driving people to move out, and we don't want the good people to move out,” Kress said. “We want the bad people to move out.”
But Ramgarib was concerned that fines would not be high enough to be a serious deterrent.
“I had someone throw (a summons) in my face, saying 'What's $100-$150 dollars? I'll pay it and play” my music, he said.
Reach reporter Alex Ginsberg by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 157.
