Baldwin Park : Shutting Up ‘Boom Boxes’

Blare a “boom box,” get a ticket--even if you’re sitting in a parked car--under an ordinance tentatively approved by the City Council.

The California Vehicle Code already prohibits “boom boxes”--radio sound amplification devices--that can be heard 50 or more feet from a moving vehicle. The city ordinance, approved unanimously Aug. 15, would extend the prohibition to cars parked on private property such as a driveways and parking lots.

Homeowners say the music is loud enough to rattle their windows, and merchants complain that the noise drives away customers, said acting Police Chief John O. Cisneros. Fines for violating the ordinance have not been set, he said.

A final vote on the ordinance is scheduled Sept. 5.