Noise cameras debut in small-town Iowa; DSM takes note
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
An Iowa town with fewer than 2,000 residents is joining a growing number of U.S. communities deploying noise camera systems and will begin fining drivers of loud vehicles next month.
Why it matters: Des Moines has battled loud noise from drag racers, bass-heavy stereo systems and engine-modified vehicles for years.
- Avoca's move might provide a blueprint for a cost-effective, scientifically proven way to issue tickets for those violations.
Catch up quick: Avoca is similar to many other communities struggling with excessively loud vehicles, city administrator Tyler Trout tells Axios.
- Frustrated, he searched for new solutions and found a traffic noise camera system used in Europe.
- That resulted in the city passing a resolution to approve the system's use and obtaining state approval to install it along Iowa Highway 59.
By the numbers: The system cost Avoca about $40,000 for its first (and currently only) camera and $10,000 for installation.
- Ongoing maintenance will cost the city about $1,000 annually.
- The city will keep 60% of fines, while a company that processes the tickets keeps the rest.
- Fines will be $100 for the first offense and $200 for subsequent tickets.
Stunning stat: Avoca's trial this spring recorded 183 violations from 83 different offenders in a month.
- About a third of those originated from just five vehicles.
The big picture: Noise cameras are cropping up in cities nationwide as communities grapple with loud vehicles, The Wall Street Journal reports.
State of play: DSM is monitoring Avoca's experience but isn't yet in favor of installing noise cameras, Sgt. Paul Parizek tells Axios.
Flashback: Des Moines launched a special six-officer police summer squad last year, partially in response to excessive noise complaints.
- The squad, which concludes this season next week, has issued thousands of tickets for various infractions.
What they're saying: The fines might partially offset Avoca's investment, but the goal is to improve residents' quality of life, Trout said.
- He expects violations will drop significantly once the few repeat offenders are ticketed.
- "Good government is a responsive community that innovates but also tries to take care of what they have," Trout said in a recent Iowa League of Cities podcast.
The other side: "What's best for our circumstances is to lean into the value of having a police officer that can respond to and resolve a variety of issues as they occur," Parizek said.
The bottom line: Des Moines may not be ready for noise cameras, but Avoca is betting its small-town experiment will speak volumes.