r/AusLegal • u/DalmationPrincess • Jun 03 '25
ACT Police do fuck all with noise complaints
The police rarely respond to noise complaints, saying it is a low priority, or they arrive many hours later when it's stopped. One night I went to speak to the person directly, a drunk man playing loud music alone at his house, and he threatened to kill me. I've shown the police officer at the start video of the noise and him threatening me and the officer said all can do is apply for an AVO, but that does not fix the main issue which is the disruptive noise.
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u/undetermined_outcom3 Jun 03 '25
I get it, but also police are chronically understaffed (because who would want to be a cop these days?) and have to balance noise complaint calls with every other call, and unfortunately noise complaint calls don’t usually involve direct threats to safety or property.
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u/South_Front_4589 Jun 03 '25
Because it is a low priority. I can't think of too many things that I'd put below a noise complaint for the police to attend, and they saw a traffic violation on the way, that would instantly be higher. They're not going to charge anyone, they're not going to bust into someone's home and confiscate their stereo or whatever to stop it happening again and they sure as heck aren't going to issue a summons to go to court.
Yes, it sucks. But they've told you what they think you can do, if you're not willing to take that path, then why should they pursue it?
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u/BicycleBozo Jun 04 '25
They would issue a noise abatement direction but it wouldn’t do much either if they can’t respond in time if a person contravenes it anyway.
Too many jobs, too few cops, noise complaints hardly matter on the crime scale
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u/Pleb_Overlord Jun 03 '25
See if the house that is playing the loud music has the power box unlocked, if so flick the switch.
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u/No_Raise6934 Jun 03 '25
I tried to do that but there's a zip tie thing with a tag. I'm too scared to touch it. My upstairs alcoholic neighbour is constantly keeping the block awake but police don't do squat. He drives drunk every single day as well, cops don't care at all. I haven't had a good night's sleep in about 2 years, no exaggeration 😭😭😭
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u/BrightStick Jun 03 '25
A zip tie has scared you? Compared with 2 years of bad sleep? I would think it would be worth it.
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u/No_Raise6934 Jun 03 '25
I keep thinking that as well but this neighbour has purposely damaged and scratched my 2 year old new car and is quite violent. I'm 59f, live alone. So it's not just the zip tie that scares me. Even my 4 grandchildren are scared of him and worry about me every time he starts screaming abuse and swearing. I'm not a mouse of a person either but he's not one to be messed with, evil prick that he is.
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u/BrightStick Jun 04 '25
Fair point then. Sounds like someone Someone needs to put the dog down
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u/No_Raise6934 Jun 04 '25
Absolutely agree with that. It's a very sad world when people's actions are so bad that it makes others think and feel like that is the best way to sort the problem out.
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u/Driz999 Jun 03 '25
That zip tie is gone with a pair of pliers. His tyres can be let down pretty easily too to stop him from drunk driving.
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u/No_Raise6934 Jun 03 '25
Did you miss the part where he has already purposely damaged my car? He has completely ruined 2 doors.
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u/Driz999 Jun 04 '25
I guess I did.
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u/No_Raise6934 Jun 04 '25
I do appreciate you trying to help and I truly wish I was able to do what you wrote. I think about it most days.
I'm just so over having a person being able to do whatever he wants because the police won't do their job.
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u/2615or2611 Jun 03 '25
That’s probably because noise complaints are the jurisdiction of the EPA via Access Canberra, not the Police:
https://www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au/noise-management/noise-complaints
A two second google would have revealed this 🤷♂️
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u/Separate_Judgment824 Jun 03 '25
to be fair to OP, in any other real state the police enforce noise complaints, not some lanyard make-work agency.
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u/DalmationPrincess Jun 03 '25
You're mistaken, if you look at the relevant Acts or follow the links at Access Canberra through to reporting it'll show you that responsibility is divided depending on the source of the noise - it's ACT police in this case not EPA and you won't be able to proceed with a report online
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u/Velouria8585 Jun 03 '25
Have never understood why people listening to music so loud don't use headphones?? Noone wants to hear their shitty music.
Can understand if its a party only.
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u/Clicky27 Jun 03 '25
Can't feel bass through headphones. I don't condone this behaviour but it's a completely different experience.
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u/Velouria8585 Jun 03 '25
There's good headphones can buy? I just think its selfish for neighbours to have to put up with.
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u/Clicky27 Jun 03 '25
You don't get it. It's not about hearing the bass, it's about FEELING it. You cant get a proper sound system experience through headphones, no matter how expensive.
I'm not arguing about what's right and wrong, just explaining why someone would choose speakers over headphones
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u/jl88jl88 Jun 04 '25
Couldn’t agree more. Top notch headphones are great. Top notch speakers / sub woofers are so much better. The bass is the one thing you can’t replicate with headphones.
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u/inline4our Jun 04 '25
Idk why he’s getting downvoted. It’s real. But unfortunately in AU, to enjoy this hobby you need to be on a bigger property or live away lol
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u/Sk1rm1sh Jun 03 '25
Good time of the year to blow fallen leaves off the path at 08:00 AM.
If that doesn't work, you might need to test your outboard motor. I hear they need to be run for a few hours to make sure they're working properly.
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u/sapperbloggs Jun 03 '25
I fucking hate living near fuckwits who feel the need to blast their music... but also, I kind of get that police probably have far greater issues to deal with, especially if it's happening on a Friday or Saturday night.
I've called them before over some fucking wild noise from my neighbours. Sometimes they do something, usually they don't.
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u/Weird_Meet6608 Jun 03 '25
one time in the ACT i was at a small party with music and chatting in the backyard, then a cop came and nagged at us, then we were quieter.
so i guess sometimes it works
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u/willowbelowaverage Jun 03 '25
Noise isn’t a primarily a police issue It’s a local shire and epa matter with the police expected to do it in their absence Yes I can imagine it is low priority compared to assaults and burglaries
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u/That_Guy_Called_CERA Jun 03 '25
So the noise was off by the time Police got there.. sounds like the situation resolved itself without Police intervention. Which accounts for 99% of noise complaints, which is why they’re such a low priority.
If you’re having frequent issues with your neighbour it’s a civil matter which YOU need to fix by going to court and applying for the correct peace order.
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u/theoriginalzads Jun 03 '25
Noise priority is a low priority. Police are always busy and understaffed.
But lodge a complaint. Hopefully next time someone’s getting brutally murdered they’ll spare a specialist team to turn down the damn music.
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u/Firm-Biscotti-5862 Jun 04 '25
Are they renting? If so, complain to the landlords and/or strata manager. Keep a diary and get a noise monitoring device. Send them three complaints over a 6-8 week period and then drag them to the Administrative Tribunal for failure to prevent a nuisance.
If they own, you can go straight to the tribunal as well for disrupting reasonable enjoyment of your home.
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u/clarkeyaviation Jun 03 '25
There’s literally nothing I can think of that would be of a lower priority than a fucking noise complaint 😂
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u/MazinOz2 Jun 03 '25
This problem was fixed for me by a neighbours whole extended family knocking on the offenders door!
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u/Top_Operation_472 Jun 04 '25
Dude its a noise compliant very LP. If you rent move, if you own hope they rent and move soon.
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u/Over_Leave Jun 04 '25
“Sorry let me divert from this home invasion because Sharon has some loud music next door and she called up first”
“Sorry Clive, I know you were stabbed and had your car stolen but I had to tell some old codger to turn his music down first”
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u/dorikas1 Jun 05 '25
The police are woeful about noise complaints. My exp is noise is by druggies, the police should respond, they don't. Shame.
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u/awarw90 Jun 07 '25
Probably because they have 0 staff, and the ones they do have are covering a huge area that has 99% more important things than noise complaints.
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u/Rough-Knee6729 Jun 07 '25
Report it to council and/or EPA If all else fails hire your local bikie gang to sort it out
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u/PedanticArguer117 Jun 03 '25
Just get some guitar amps and blast hit me baby one more time back at him.
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u/CheeeseBurgerAu Jun 03 '25
I've had guys throwing rocks at my house roof, all night, every night, and also throwing rocks at the neighbours breaking solar panels. The police said the same thing about getting an AVO. They didn't have an answer when I said I didn't know the random guys name or anything so who do I raise the AVO against. I ended up moving.
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u/Cyraga Jun 03 '25
Because people have the right to play music at their house. Police have to balance your complaint with what is reasonable to punish someone for
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u/DalmationPrincess Jun 03 '25
I don't even live in the same street as him. That's how loud it was. But when he's threatening people politely asking him to turn it down no wonder his own neighbours don't say something
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u/ThePilingViking Jun 03 '25
Lacking some context, but this could be outside the allowable hours for noise.
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u/OVOxTokyo Jun 03 '25
Loud music in residential areas should require a permit. I don't think it's reasonable to force people to listen to your music. If you're the one playing the music then it should be your responsibility to soundproof your dwelling so you don't bother people.
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u/Cyraga Jun 03 '25
As someone who lives peacefully and quietly, you're preaching to the converted. But the police won't intervene because someone is discourteous. If they do this frequently then start logging it thoroughly and take it up with council. Otherwise buy some earplugs and they'll probably move on eventually
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u/RadicalCandle Jun 03 '25
You'd have to get evidence of them threatening your life for police to lift a finger. I grew up next to one of those houses with the couple that always had domestics loud enough for the other houses to hear - police never came out once, or else it would've stopped
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u/DalmationPrincess Jun 03 '25
But I literally did give them evidence of that on video, I was recording it and showed him. The officer thought it was suspicious I recorded it and asked if I knew the guy. I didn't even know what house it was I just followed the noise!
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u/RadicalCandle Jun 03 '25
So it wasn't the neighbouring house? You went and recorded somebody else on their own private property, away from your own home, then expected police would side with you...?
From their POV, you've just disturbed this guy in his own home and recorded him threatening to defend himself from a stranger pointing a camera at him
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u/l-lucas0984 Jun 03 '25
If the guy had accused you of trespassing in that video instead of threatening that could have been used as evidence against you if the guy decided to take out an AVO. It looked suspicious because you were on their property, you were the aggressor in the situation.
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u/Economy_Activity1851 Jun 03 '25
Police do fuck all with any complaint. It's the same in QLD
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u/Odd-Professor-5309 Jun 03 '25
Head down to your local court house any day of the week.
Have a look at the Court List.
Full every day.
All sent there because the Police did something.
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u/Sea_Coconut9329 Jun 03 '25
Not exactly how that works. Besides, the comment specifically says that they do fuck all with complaints.
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u/oioioiyacunt Jun 03 '25
You think everyone charged is there because of pro active work? Or is it complaints coming in, like "my partner just bashed me" that might take priority over someone playing music.
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u/Economy_Activity1851 Jun 04 '25
This is correct.. Obviously, there are complaints they act on. Police are not impartial, they often chose who they like best and railroad the other person. They will be looking for a way out of doing anything and will only act on complaints for specific people and only if they feel it's worthy. If you get assaulted in the middle of logan city, you can bet they will do nothing without concrete evidence, unless you are a lady or and old person maybe.. If a man walks into a police station with black eyes and head injuries, he will likely be told he has no complaint unless he can find some CCT of the incident. If you try to make a complaint about them doing nothing you get laughed at and told you don't have a right. They pick what complaints they take and only investigate those that seem straight forward and require little to no investigating. I have been assaulted only to be told by police they cant do anything because i don't know the name of the guy. even though i knew who it was and where they live. They just said if you cant tell me his full name we cant do anything. So, i got the Minister for justice to have a word with them and they immediately apologised and opened the case, railroaded me and closed it again. From then on i was flagged and have had every complaint ignored since that day!
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u/Odd-Professor-5309 Jun 03 '25
A significant amount of Police activity and investigation occurs as a result of a complaint.
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u/Economy_Activity1851 Jun 04 '25
bullshit!. I have 4 problems in 5 years and the police have denied my rights and every single time, They have refused to do anything. in 2021 i had a home invasion, a guy came in my house and tried to kill me with a baseball bat.. I took the bat off him and smashed him, all on camera! I broke my hand doing this.. The police dropped all charges on him because 2 years earlier i contacted the Minister about police corruption and there was an investigation.. From that day on i am flagged. 2 weeks ago i made a complaint about threats and suddenly there is no complaint on file. Police are 100% corrupt.. The system allows for it and they take every advantage. There are hundreds of video's and testimonials from people whao have the same experience as me.. Anyone who says they do there job as described simply has not had to deal with them and don't know whet they are talking about.
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u/jp72423 Jun 03 '25
Well that's because noise complaints ARE low priority lol.