Police begin ‘quiet night’ program

The Quiet Nights program, which will call for increased patrolling of high-density student areas in Bloomington, has been initiated until the conclusion of Little 500 on April 22.

Starting last Thursday, the program is designed to decrease noise complaints as students begin to prepare for Little 500 festivities.
“Quiet Nights will be aimed any place where a large number of students live in close proximity to individuals who aren’t students,” said Lt. David B. Drake of Bloomington Police Department.

According to the press release issued by Capt. Joe Qualters of BPD, noise ordinance enforcement is in place year-round. However, there is a greater emphasis upon students’ return to campus after spring break until the completion of the Little 500 races.
According to the release by Capt. Qualters, “The program was developed as a result of noise complaints in core neighborhoods near the IU campus that have high student populations.”

The program began in 2001 for the purpose of reinforcing Bloomington’s noise ordinance. Additional personnel will be assigned to enforce the initiative so officers will not be distracted from their day-to-day responsibilities.

According to the Web site for the city of Bloomington, noise is defined as sound that “prevents, disrupts, injures or endangers the health, safety, welfare, prosperity, comfort or repose of reasonable persons of ordinary
Sensitivities.”