Using "breach of peace" as an enforcement action for boom cars.

Lowering The Boom On Blaring Car Radios

Courant Staff Report

April 4 2007

NEW BRITAIN -- City police are warning motorists who like to cruise with
their car stereos blasting that they could end up with no music at all.

For the second year, police plan to enforce the city's noise ordinance by
charging violators with breach of peace and then seizing detachable
"faceplates" from their car stereos.

New Britain police spokesman Sgt. Gregory Wright said that, in previous
years, efforts to enforce the ordinance by ticketing violators have been
largely unsuccessful.

So last year, Wright said, police began charging violators with breach of
peace, a misdemeanor that requires a court appearance.

Police also began seizing faceplates from car stereos that were so equipped,
which makes the stereos inoperable.

"If you have that music cranked up, we're not just going to give you a
ticket and let you go on your way," Wright said. "Now we're going to make
sure you can't blast that music until your case is settled."

Wright said the department is warning motorists about the stepped-up
enforcement because the weather is getting warmer, which means people tend
to drive with their windows down and the music blaring.

"People don't want to hear the bass line from your favorite song rattling
their teeth," he said.