Muncie changes noise ordinance exemption after deadly shooting at approved party
The Muncie Board of Works will no longer grant noise ordinance exemptions for events after midnight. As IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports, the changes stem from a large party last month with a deadly shooting.
The board voted unanimously to give no exemptions to the city’s strict noise ordinance after midnight. Chair Ted Baker asked for the vote to change the exemption application form, which was not on the Wednesday meeting’s agenda.
“And I want somewhere on there that just says, ‘Noise exemptions will not be permitted after midnight.’ It’s to have this clear so when people file for the exemption, they know in advance.”
The board also voted to require Muncie Police Department approval to any proposed exemptions before voting. That stems from an approved exemption of a July party that was supposed to include 75 people and run until 9:00 PM. But that night, police have estimated up to 1,000 people were at the outdoor gathering when shots rang out just after 1:00 AM.
Baker said the department has to enforce whatever the board grants.
“We want them to know in advance what is happening, and so we can stave off a lot of issues and problems. And then, they also know in the past where problems have been. And so, I think we’ll get some good information up front.”
The Board of Works has recently denied exemptions that it had granted in previous years. Baker has said those denials were on recommendations from police because of prior call-outs to those locations.
Muncie police have been asking for such a rule change for nearly a year.
Board members debated rejecting exemptions for multi-day events, but decided to continue allowing it before voting on changes.
Stephanie Wiechmann is our Managing Editor and “All Things Considered” Host. Contact her at slwiechmann@bsu.edu.
