The Guyana Police Force and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be working together to tackle noise nuisance across the country.

Representatives of the EPA met with the Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken as part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two agencies, which will focus on improving the Police Force’s capacity to effectively respond to complaints involving excessive noise.

The move comes days after President Irfaan Ali noted that noise nuisance has come up repeatedly during public consultations and is affecting the quality of life for many citizens.

The Environmental Protection Act makes noise nuisance a criminal offence. The Act states that any person found guilty of an offence of noise nuisance or loud noise is liable on a summary conviction to a fine of not less than $300,000 or not more than $750,000 and imprisonment for a year.

In a release today, the Police Force explained that as part of the collaboration, Police ranks will receive specialized training in the handling of noise nuisance complaints, including the proper use of equipment to measure and assess noise levels.

The initiative will also ensure that the equipment is properly calibrated and that ranks responsible for its use are adequately trained.

Training will commence this week across all 12 policing divisions, allowing ranks throughout the country to develop the necessary skills to respond to noise-related complaints in a consistent and professional manner.

The collaboration between the GPF and EPA is expected to strengthen the response to noise nuisance complaints, while promoting greater compliance with regulations governing noise levels across the country.

The government has also been touting new legislation to address noise nuisance.

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