Police aim to crack down on loud vehicles in downtown Wyandotte
WYANDOTTE, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) — Police in Wyandotte are cracking down on reports of loud vehicles in the community.
CBS News Detroit went on a ride-along with police to take a closer look.
"Speeding, drag racing, loud exhaust, just loud vehicles, motorcycles, loud stereos, and people disregarding traffic signals," Chief Archie Hamilton said of the complaints they've received.
Police officers like Cade Barwig have had multiple arrests since the newly focused detail started.
The initiative began last week, and over 30 tickets, costing nearly $200, have already been written up.
"The age range is wide; in fact, I can tell you that was apprehended for using nitrous oxide while driving was 51 years old; I can tell you the person who was arrested for drunk driving — third offense, which is a felony in the state of Michigan — was 36 years old," Hamilton said.
While authorities may pull you over for a loud exhaust, the situation could easily escalate into a more serious one.
During our ride-along, someone was pulled over for a loud exhaust. The driver had a warrant for his arrest from a previous incident.
"Obviously if you have outstanding warrants, you're going to get taken to jail," Barwig said.
If the driver is released, he'll still have to deal with the initial reason why he was pulled over.
"He has 14 days to take care of the ticket that's to contact the court, and get a court date set up in that time," Barwig said of the driver.
So what's unreasonably loud? CBS News Detroit learned there's no set decibel level but with restaurants with outdoor seating and homes above businesses. If you can be heard 500 feet away it becomes concerning.
"When you go through downtown the buildings are so close together that loud exhaust it just bounces off the building," Barwig said.
There's also a broader crackdown on loud modified vehicles in Lansing. Currently, a bill is making rounds to ensure law enforcement has the authority to stop vehicles for excessive noise statewide.
