Can you report a church for disturbing the peace?

Question

There is a church near my house that opens the front door every Sunday morning and keeps it open so you can hear the amplifiers, preaching, and music at top volume. I work nights as a bartender and I need sleep. I am thinking about calling the police.

Answer 1

ha dude that's pretty ****** up.  

Answer 2

It depends on what time this is happening, and what the noise statutes are in your county/city.  You need to look at the laws first.  Then you'll know if you can call law enforcement about it.

Answer 3

You can if you're Sarah Silverman. Depends where you live. Try talking first, you don't have to be so extreme.

Answer 4

You could always try it, but I wouldn't expect much to come of it.  A better solution might be to talk with someone in the church's office and explain your situation to them.  Who knows, they might keep the doors shut once the service starts or lower the volume.  If it is a continuous thing, you should always try to work it out amongst yourselves before involving the police.  I don't think that they could get a citation for disturbing the peace, because music and preaching are expected of a church, although it does sound extreme in this case.  Would someone who lived across from a club be taken seriously if they reported the club for having loud music blaring at late hours of the night?  That's a risk that is taken when you live near commercial zones.

Answer 5

Have you thought about talking directly to the church? They probably have no idea anyone is trying to sleep during the day. It's possible all you'd have to do is nicely let them know you work nights and need the daytime sleep. You wouldn't have to let them know what your job is ...

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) might be able to tell you if the church is going above the acceptable noise level for your neighborhood. I once planned a street dance with a live band for a community group and had to ask the EPA for permission to make that much noise. They told me the band could crank it up to only a certain decibel level. So if the church will not kindly consider your request, the EPA might be your next stop.

I'd also guess any authorities would consider factors like how close you live to the church building, how long the church makes the noise on Sunday mornings, and if you can hear every word they say or not. I'll tell you, even if all I could hear was drums and the thump of bass guitars, I'd be mighty P.O.'d!

Hope you get some sleep.

Answer 6

Reverend Wright is up to his old tricks, I see...

Go ahead and call the fuzz.

Answer 7

Sure.  But the police may disagree on what is "top volume."

Answer 8

The least you could do, after all the damage organized religion has done to America.