Seagoville Gazette

July 6, 2015

Seagoville was given the Noisy Dozen Award from Noise Free America in May for allowing boom car thugs to terrorize an innocent woman every night for two years, in retaliation for her calling the police about loud parties. In response, the police and city officials in Seagoville have done practically nothing.

Lolo Peace is a resident of Seagoville. She states, “I have lived in my subdivision since 2005. I moved out here initially to help my sister out with my nieces. Before I moved in this area, I drove for weeks to check in the day, afternoon, and evening to make sure this is where I wanted to move. The community was nice and thriving at the time when I moved in despite the noisy neighbor across the street.”

“In 2010,” Ms. Peace states, “I noticed people started moving out, the elderly were dying and their grandchildren were taking over, and houses were going vacant. So these companies started coming in buying these empty houses and allowing anyone to buy them. So the neighborhood started to deteriorate. I noticed the drug selling, the huge parties, the cars with all this loud noise, and people hanging out all the hours of the night. I really noticed it because I got laid off so I was at home more than before and ‘boom, boom, and boom’ throughout the day and night is all I was hearing. I couldn’t believe this was happening.”

The next day, it happened again. And then again the next day. “The weekend came,” Peace states, “and the neighbor on the side of me was having a party. They were drinking, smoking weed, and parked on my side of the street. Their guests were all in the street with small children. I thought it was a block party, but it was just their own party. So I contacted the police department and explained to them what was going on and they said they would send an officer.”

It took that officer 45 minutes to come. When the officer finally arrived, he asked Lolo Peace what the problem was. She said, “Don’t you hear it? Don’t you see it?” She explained that she was trying to sleep and they were playing loud music from their cars. They were also drinking and smoking marijuana. The officer stated they were on private property but that he would ask them to turn down the noise. Peace noted that the sidewalk and the street are public property, and that citizens have the right to have noise ordinances enforced.

The following week, Lolo Peace’s “neighbors” had another loud party. The police issued a citation, at Peace’s request.

Then things got very ugly. The friends of the noisemakers started pulling up by Peace’s house, “turning up their stereo systems in their car when they would come over. I asked them to turn the noise down and they turned it up. I asked them if they could turn it down. They came to my house again. So then they started looking at me, cussing me out, and then turned up music in their car.”

Then some new people moved into the neighborhood and started partying right away: “They had parties until 2:00 in the morning,” Peace said. “I asked them to turn it down because I had a migraine that night I was trying to sleep. He said ‘OK.’ Like a dummy, I believed them and tried to lie back down and they continued. I called the police and asked them to get the noisemakers to turn the noise down. I told the police not to come to my house and that I did not want to be contacted. I just wanted the police to get these people to turn down the noise.”

Lolo Peace continued: “They kept it up until I decided to take them to court. The judge threw out the ticket because the last time I called, the police officer said he had to open his door to hear the noise. The judge did explain to them that I deserve to have peace in my home when I am working and sleeping. She asked them if they liked peace when they sleep. I have several vehicles driving by with the loud noise from their cars on purpose. I ask the police to come and I get attitude when I call. I hope I can get some help.”

Ted Rueter, Noise Free America’s director, stated that “the noise situation in Seagoville is outrageous. Lolo Peace has experienced boom car terrorism for two years, from 9:00 pm until 5:00 am, seven nights a week. And the police do practically nothing. Lolo Peace deserves peace and quiet. All the citizens of Seagoville deserve peace and quiet. All the residents of the United States deserve peace and quiet. Boom car terrorists should be arrested and thrown in jail. The police department in Seagoville should do its job and enforce the law. Lolo Peace has suffered enough.”

Noise Free America is a national citizens’ organization opposed to noise pollution. Past “winners” of the Noisy Dozen award include Pharr, Texas; Houston, Texas; and Garner, Texas.

Source: Press Release