Pensacola issues 45 tickets in first weekend of crack down on loud vehicles downtown

Jim Little, Pensacola News Journal
·2 min read

Pensacola's first weekend of enhanced enforcement of loud vehicle laws in downtown Pensacola resulted in 45 tickets and four arrests, Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves said.

Over the past weekend, the city began to crack down on loud vehicles in the downtown area, with the Pensacola Downtown Improvement Board putting up the funds to pay for police officers to work extra duty in the area.

Police were out looking to enforce state laws on modified mufflers and loud noise, such as music coming from vehicles on Thursday and Saturday nights

Of the 45 tickets issued by officers downtown, 25 were for exhaust violations and six were for loud music/noise violations. Additionally, seven tickets were issued for running stop signs, one for driving without insurance, two for no eye protection on a motorcycle, two for illegal tint, one for "faulty equipment," and one for "drifting/stunt driving."

Four people were arrested after police pulled them over. One person had an outstanding warrant, two were arrested on suspicion of driving unregistered vehicles, and one was arrested on suspicion of driving with a suspended license.

Additionally, three warnings were issued, according to Reeves.

"I think that shows we've got an issue," Reeves said. "That was two days. We did not do Friday because it was a Gallery Night."

Last month, the DIB, which is funded by a tax on downtown property owners, approved $25,000 to pay for extra police officers to patrol downtown while off-duty from their regular shift to specifically enforce noise ordinances.

Operating vehicles with modified mufflers that create extra noise has been illegal in Florida for several decades. In 2022, Florida adopted a "Loud Music Law" that makes it illegal to play music in a car that is "plainly audible" at a distance of more than 25 feet.

Reeves said the enforcement effort will continue, and this is part of the "growing pains" of a popular downtown.

"When you have 30% more people downtown than you did in 2021, things change," Reeves said. "And lots of things change. It's not just one. They change for the better."

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola issues 45 tickets in crack down on loud vehicles downtown