Can You Make an Anonymous Noise Complaint to the Cops?

Yes! You can make anonymous noise complaint against your noisy upstairs neighbors or next-door neighbor playing bass music in the dead of the night.

Sometimes, things get so bad to an extend that nothing seems to work.  

If you live in Cincinnati, the loudest city in the U.S according to research (source), you probably can relate to how annoying loud noise can be.

In this guide, we shall be looking at key factors that you must always consider if you need to make anonymous noise complaint.

When To Make Anonymous Noise Complaint to The Police?

Involving outside parties like the cops against your loud neighbors can easily escalate a bad situation.

Therefore, you should only call the cops as the last resort.

Before you can call the cops, you should at least try the following:

Talk With the Noisy Neighbor– in most cases, your neighbors aren’t aware that they’re being noise. You could try approach them and inform them of the noise situation. If you’re shy and aren’t aware of how to approach the neighbor, here’s a simple guide. (Source)

Involve The Landlord, Property Manager: if talking with the neighbor doesn’t seem to work, then I would advocate you involve the landlord.

Soundproof your home: this blog is highly dedicated to home soundproofing to help block outside home from leaking inside or noise from the inside from leaking outside.

You can use cheap soundproofing materials, for example, mass loaded vinyl to help block both high and low frequency noises.

What Is the Importance of Making Anonymous Noise Complaint?

Reporting noise complaint to the cops anonymously has several benefits attached to it. Below are some of the benefits of making anonymous noise complaint against your noisy neighbor.

• The cops won’t come knocking at your door for further inquiry. This will be great especially if you don’t want to be the main focus of a police investigation or if you’re not available for further questioning.
• You don’t want bad blood between you and the neighbors: if the neighbors get to know you’re the reason the cops came knocking at their doorstep, they may decide to unleash revenge in the least unexpected ways.

A-List of Ways on How to Make Anonymous Noise Complaint

If you’re affirmative that you need to make noise complaint while at the same time keeping your identity a secret, here’s what you should do.

To determine whether the noise is excess or not there should be someone who isn’t the listener.

Yes, it’s true that your records may be quite useful in the case, but a third party must be present.

An official will have to access the “loud noises” you’re faced with in reference to your city ordinances.

Here’s my advice that you must heed to if you need to successfully win this case.

Take a look at your local government website and search for the type of noise they will or won’t deal with.

Here’s a good example, launching noise complaints regarding noises like dogs barking noise (btw check my guide on how to soundproof a dog crate) belong to animal control department.

Similarly, train noise, traffic noise, garbage noise, and aircraft noise are assigned to different departments.

It would be best to first inquire from the local government to get to know which department to approach.

However, if you believe that the noises, you’re hearing indicate the possibility of violence involved, then you should immediately call 911.

The Best Way to Launch Anonymous Noise Complaint

The best way you can launch a discreet noise complaint would be reporting it online using the Noise Complaint Form from your local government website.

Some forms will ask you to call the non-emergency line immediately if the noise you’re reporting breaks the set ordinances.

However, if you’re reporting an ongoing noise offense, use the form and try to be specific as possible.

The personal information you enter is held confidential unless when you’re needed to testify.

Some forms include questions such as your willingness to testify, concerning your confidentiality, so you can rest assured that your reporting is made anonymous.

What To Do If the Noise Doesn’t Stop? Or The Noise Is Within the Set Guidelines?

Did you know that launching a noise complain to the cops or even the proper department doesn’t guarantee an end to the noise?

It’s also possible that the sound levels fall within the set limits.

I understand that noise ordinances can be a pain in the @$$ especially when you’re the victim but there are other solutions that you can implement.

To remedy such a situation, I would highly recommend you soundproof your home.

Click the learning resource button on this blog menu to learn different methods you can implement right now and soundproof your home.

In a brief, you can try soundproofing your home by adding:

• Soundproofing the ceiling
• Soundproofing the doors by either replacing hollow core doors with solid core and sealing the space between the floor and the door with weatherstripping material.
• You can hang acoustic panels to the walls or instead use mass loaded vinyl to block both high and low frequency noises.
• You can use household items to soundproof as well.

Final Thoughts on Launching Noise Complaints

Noise is an everyday problem that we all have to live and deal with.

Educate yourself about the noise ordinances in your town or city. This will give you the empowerment to fight for your silence.

Above all it’s important to understand that we all have to deal with some levels of noise in our environment.

Lastly, I would like to invite you to learn more about soundproofing through the different articles I’ve published on this blog.