TWENTY-SEVEN bar/club owners and party promoters in Region Five, on Friday, attended a meeting hosted by the regional police to address issues surrounding entertainment and the Guyana Police Force’s policy on noise nuisance.

Some of the topics discussed included bars/clubs having the requisite licences to operate under the law; the procedures for applying for music and dance licence to hold parties; special arrangements in place for the Christmas Season and the lawless occurrences at bars and parties which sometimes lead to serious offences, such as wounding, and even murder, being committed.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has received hundreds of complaints of noise nuisance so far for the year.

Reports suggest that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) received some 300 complaints in 2018.
Noise nuisance continues to be a pervasive problem in Guyana.

This year, several police officers underwent training to deal with this issue, which is a crime under the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act.

The act states: “No person shall, in any road, street, public space, or land, or in any building or premises, by operating or causing or suffering to be operated by any stereo set, juke box, radio, wireless loud speaker, gramophone, amplifier, automatic piano or similar instrument of music, or by any means whatsoever, make or cause or suffer to be made any noise which shall be so loud and so continuous or repetitive as to cause a nuisance to occupants of any premises in the neighbourhood.”

While prosecution of this crime has been low, companies are now being warned that their licences can be revoked if they are guilty of noise nuisance.

The warning was sounded by Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan.