On my recent visit to treasure beach, i notice the police are going around closing the shops at 11pm, whereas other places are left undisturbed.
Why are they targeting treasure beach?
If there is such a law, why didn't the nation media mention that this law will be enforce in treasure beach.
According to the residence, this is just the action of one police officer who was recently posted at this station.
There are youngers racing on the road at night, driving without due care and attention to other road users and nothing being done about that.

Well said,Treasure beach.I totally agree with you.Treasure Beach Roads turn into Vernam Field,with these youngster with the loud mufflers,it a shame to hear them on the roads and the polices don't seems to be doing nothing .

this is the new law in jamaica u got to close at 12:00 pm.i did not hear any law for loud mufflers

Nobody needed to have told anyone in Treasure Beach or elsewhere about this law. It is nothing new!

The Night Noise Law (Noise Abatement Act) has been on the books for more than a decade. Over that time it has been enforced mostly in large urban centres. Even there enforcement has not been rigorous enough, but in recent times the new police commissioner has been making it quite clear that he will be adopting a zero tolerance approach to the problem. There are many older residents of Treasure Beach who have been having a torrid time because of the encroachment of sound systems on their night time rest.

Rather than being chastised for taking this stance, the new head of the police unit in the community should be commended for carrying out this aspect of her job. Use that as an opening to remind the police that there are other breaches, such as the speeding on the road, that also need to be curtailed.

I am well aware of the speeding problem, and unless urgent action is taken to curtail it, there might be serious consequences for the community. But there is no reason to ignore other problems even as we urge the police to rein in the 'road hogs'.

I cannot believe that dances are being held so frequently that police should be so ardent in their policing of bars and dances. This isn't Kingston where there is a dance on every corner and most bars are in a closed environment. In this time of financial instability where people are constantly under pressure, socialising is one of the few ways left for people to relieve stress.
Dances and bars are nothing new, its our culture and dances have been going on longer than we all can remember. I just think it should be about mutual respect and not one side dictating to the other. If noise is an issue deal with levels, not completely shutting sounds off or closing bars down. Maybe we should think about where dances are being kept in relation to those living close by. It seems as if Jamaica is becoming a nanny state like England, where you are constantly being told how to live. Ironically, there are extended opening hours in clubs and pubs in England, but I guess there is extra revenue (taxes) in it for the government.

One more thing I forgot, I hope that the police are not using all their resources for something as trivial as locking off sounds when I'm sure there are more serious crimes taking place. We all want to feel safe and protected by the police, but am I the only one who doesn't feel that dances and bars are not a priority when it comes to community policing.
Peace and love y'all!

When I was considering purchase of land in Great Bay in 1991, speeding vehicles was one of my concerns. I had young kids then.

I have previously expressed my aversion to sounds that disturbs and initiates the stress response (check: noise/stress response on google).

This aspect of life in treasure beach is a threat to health, the claim we have of being "a peaceful vacation destination" and the well being and wealth of residents.

I guess that not many speeders are those with tight schedules as those that need to impress and enjoy the highs of adrenaline, putting others at risk.

Talk to them nuh!

If I wanted noise and rush I can name many other local destinations.

If I tend to exaggeration it may be because I have seen many communities with so much potential loose their cool and vibrance to selfishness, boastiness and unthinking development (there I go again).

It often starts with the 'little' things. When we ignore them they become much bigger problems down the road. The night noise problem is not new. It is only getting worse. Fact is, the worsening of the economic situation for some will encourage them to get into the establishment of more bars and other places of entertainment; which is fine, as long as sensible rules are laid down for them to follow, and these rules are enforced.
I'd hope that our visitors expect a certain level of order even when they leave their 'advanced' societies to spend some time in our 'relaxed' environs here in the Third World. Truth is, there are also real people here facing the challenges of daily life. Night noise is one of those challenges. As are speeding vehicles.

Bless the police for cracking down on noise and making people obey the laws. What is music to some is very annoying and distressing to others. At some point late in the night, if noise can be heard outside your yard, it is too loud. If someone is being inconsiderate, then the police will have to remind them they are being a bad neighbor. If they wish to make noise past a certain hour, they will have to hire a dance hall.

Noise - ah, noise. Glad One and Turey both make good points. When we cast about for places to stay in TB, or anywhere, we always inquire about nearby bars, or other noise. Noise tolerance may (or may not) be a matter of culture. But to some of us, if we are seeking peace and quiet (just about our top priority), to pay money to stay in a beautiful place and then get assaulted by music we don't want to hear, at all, anytime, puts a huge damper on our pleasure. In America, there is a strong belief that people have a right to do what they want on their own property. Well, ok, we'll agree with that, as long as what you do stays on your own property, and doesn't spill over onto mine. Another noise we inquire about when we look for places to stay is barking dogs - most annoying to us lovers of peace and quiet. And there are tons of dogs in Jamaica. We have stayed in just two places in all our times in Jamaica where we have not had one or two or whole packs of dogs barking at various times. To sleep at night, we've often had to use earplugs. Not good. So, Glad One is right: if noise can be heard outside your own yard, it's too loud. And that includes dogs.

the police have to do there job, people complaint when they dont. i pray they attack the DRUG problem soon. thank you

This is a very good topic. The noise abatement act prohibits music and other such noise from being heard 100 meters from where it is being played after 11 p.m. There are certain exceptions during political campaigns. I can recall loud music being played well after this hour years ago during a set-up; this was distressing, annoying, and generally rude. It took a letter to the GLEANER to bring police action. More recently, I have noticed a particular restaurant allowing their music to be played well after 11 p.m. This is of special interest because the owner of said establishment used to be one of the complainers about the loud noise from others.

So, I'm assuming there are exceptions to this rule, such as New Years Eve, Calabash Literary Festival, etc., or does everyone just accept that the law will be broken during special occassions? Also, is the law the same for every night of the week? What about Friday and Saturday nights when people typically want to go out and dance past 11PM? If it is for every night of the week, it seems a bit extreme to me.

I don't disagree that noise levels should be kept down after 11PM, especially during the week, but the sounds I hear at night in Treasure Beach with all the windows in my room open are no different than I experience at home in a small town in the States in the summer with the windows open (and sometimes when they're shut) - music playing, young people laughing and talking, cars roaring by or peeling out, dogs barking, cars with the bass so loud the windows rattle, etc. etc. Right or wrong, good or bad, such are the sounds of life today. For those seeking total peace and quiet on vacation, do your homework, take your ear plugs, find a quiet spot on the beach and good luck!

I don't understand for the life of me why our police are so relaxed when it comes to certain illegal acts. There are so many drug pushers in TB and yet still our police can't seem to get a hold of these guys. They harass tourists especially on the beach. It is amazing how so many persons can come in the area and pick up this trend and our police are blind.

The loud late noise is not only from dances and bars. It also comes from boom boxes that are turned up so loud it's a wonder their owners aren't deaf. Or maybe they are, and that's why they're so loud. Aside from the official police laws, there are rules of common decency. Funny how people never think THEY are the one being rude, only someone else.

Sure, the police could be out arresting REAL criminals. Isn't it funny how few people give tips to the police in an effort to assist them in doing so? Yet when one of these bad eggs gets apprehended, eveyone already knows who they are and wondered why it took the police so long. Speak up citizens. We don't have enough police. And we all know it's not very many people who are the REAL criminals. Why let them ruin Treasure Beach for us and for our kids? Let's have the strength and courage to do what we know is right in our hearts.

I forgot about our dogs Curious One.

We have developed a tolerance to our dogs barking, especially when a bitch is in heat.

When I surprised my pack baying on moonlight nights, they would look all embarrased for expressing their inner wolf in my presence.

Sometimes I could reason with them when a guest from foreign was kept awake, sometimes it seems that too many ghosts were around for the dogs to relax. At least thats what some of my old friends tell me. I suspect many uninvited living guests were kept away by the sight of a dozen or so sleek Ja mongrels, for this they more than payed their keep.

I hope if you do have to wear earplugs again Curious One you will forgive us for the nightime frolics of our canine friends and guardians.

Turey - You mention something I know is so: Jamaicans have developed a tolerance for barking dogs. But oh woe, they can be most annoying for those of us not used to them, not fans of them. If it weren't for their barking which I find hugely annoying, not to mention stressful (that connection you mention between noise and stress - big here in the states), I kind of like Jamaican mutts, who seem far less neurotic than dogs here in this country, though they (Jamaican canines) also seem like a kind of sad lot - not recipients of much love. But to return to the matter of noise: I think I am unlikely to ever get used to their barking, especially at night, and it is one of the very few things that mars my TB vacations. To me, the problem with dogs barking is that the barking is random. Now you hear it, now maybe not, but...shoot, there it is again, and just when you think, or at least hoped, they had finally knocked it off for the night. Once we stayed in a charming, jungly place in Port Antonio, with the symphony of night frogs and other critters lulling us to sleep. And all that was sweet, because it was steady, soothing, a lullaby. But then the dogs took up their night business, and that killed the loveliness. We planned to stay in that place for a week; instead, we checked out the next morning. And i think that no one can say what should or should not bother another person. If it bothers someone, it bothers, whether or not it bothers someone else. Also, as my mother used to say, some people have tin ears.

I have to agree with Sick and Tired: "Funny how people never think THEY are the one being rude..."

I think 4 hours of drinking and dancing is enough time for someone to drink/dance and communicate as past time. Let's face it the more you drink the more likely you are to get into trouble.
As for the noise I would say it's about time something is done about that.
If it wasn't that the music was so loud all over the place may be this topic would not have to be on.
Respect for one and all is the best thing.
If the establishments would consider playing their music at a reasonable volumn and turn down the base so it do not shake people out of their beds then maybe the Police would not have to go around closing them down at 11:P.M.

IT DOSENT MATTER IF IT IS LOUD MUSIC OR NO LOUD MUSIC YOU JUST GOTTA CLOSE

What is going on in Treasure Beach,I can remember when winford club was open we had so much fun on weekend,know one use to call the police the police use to come and have a great time,yes we used to have some problem out there,and in those days we had more older people than today living in TB.We need to stop and think what's going on in TB we the original people of TB, have know more say any more.Now it's been run by the owners of villas and people that had know knowledge of TB until the past ten years, these are some of the rules that are going to make us think what we did to our community, when we decided to turn it in to a next Negril and Ochie.In Negril they stop playing loud music at 12am,we are going to here that we should put nuzzle on our dogs,cats,chicken and goats.We had know problem in the seventy's and eighty's with music but every one come in and want to change our way of living in Treasure Beach is not the same any more, I dont even want to go home any more,God I wish we could get back a little of TB that laid back and beautiful place.

I also hope the police will take their guns and round up those stray goats on the road that are coming onto private property and creating a problem for owners as they eat off everything you plant. On one hand the government says plant more and on the other goat owners are sending out more goats to create havoc for property owners. You and I know that goats always see greener pasture on the other side. So if with the help of the police the owners could keep in their stray goats or suffer the consequences. No way TB can flourish with stray goats - and we could not even think of planting flowers in public - they 'renk' and mess up the plazas and walk miles all around TB as if they are wild goats - NUISANCE!!

WHAT IS SO LAID BACK AND PEACFULL ABOUT "LOUD DEAFFING MUSIC"?
THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH VILLAS/GUEST HOUSE OWNERS.
THIS HAS TO DO WITH EVERYONE THAT LIVES IN TREASURE BEACH.
AS I SAID BEFORE IT IS TIME TO CLEAN UP AND SAYING THIS I MEAN NOT ONLY THE LOUD MUSIC BUT OTHER ILLEGAL GOING ON.

TIME TO BRING IN THE TROOPS. MAKE TB WHAT IS ONCE WAS.AS A MATTER OF FACT THE VILLAS/GUEST HOUSES/HOTELS ARE NOT TO BE BLAMED BECAUSE IF IT WASN'T FOR MOST OF THEM TB WOULD NOT BE ON THE MAP TODAY AS A RESORT THAT BRINGS IN REVENUE TO HELP THE COMMUNITY.
BEFORE I GO ...PLEASE STOP BLAMING AND COME TOGETHER AND HELP TO CLEAN UP TB.

Remember Concern that the original inhabitants of TB were supposed to be Amerindian people.

Waves of invaders, slaves, prisoners and refugee seekers have produced us. Some not born in the community have purchased land and started various businesses say in the last 20 years. They wish to be considered an integral if new part of the community too...yes? me for one!

It is a tendency for isolated communities to be suspicious of and to resent any "outsider's" intrusion on the accustomed flow of living. There are great advantages to this. A secure community for one. One disadvantage is keeping good people from joining into the spirit of the community and whose voices should at least be heard too, if not respected.

If any source of resentment is based on envy, jelousy or other irrational factors then this is an area that some of these previously announced meetings ought to address.

Curious One reminds us that how we treat the animals in our care is a reflection of ourselves.
Dogs that are cared for and communicated with will not bark unnessecarily accept in dog season.

I will not have to muzzle my dogs Concern but will keep them in control during season. I think Curious One is reminding us why many are drawn to TB. They would welcome a weekend with some sweet music and vibes like we enjoyed first time but not to be kept awake till late hours by sound systems from far away BOOM BOOM BOOM. There are different levels of noise and others stressors in various communities for various reasons. One of the things that attracts guests here is the lack of noise and the ability to hear natural sounds and experience nightime without overwhelming artificial lighing. Simple as that...no limbo dancing, no crab racing just the moonlight and the wooshing sea. Yea, I know the youth dem want some action, my kids dreaded coming, no tv or parties...let us not forget them!

No for muzzling goats Concern, but is time to pen them like old time. Goats among my guests and plants will be a challenge. Matter of fact no goat di-de first time.

Silence IS golden.

By ***

I heard you....and I have some questions that I hope someone can and will answer for me.

Why are the people being made to close if there is no noise?

and....

Why are some shops being shut down and others not? That seems very irregular. What shops are being forced to close and which are allowed to remain open?

one more question....

Is Dougies Bar at Jakes being made to close at 11pm or are they allowed to remain open?

Just asking....

Please remember mutual respect, think about negotiating the noise levels and promoters should consider where they keep functions. What is the world coming too when we are being told how long we can stay out for or the length of time it takes to socialise, soon people will have to stay 'lock up inna house'. I really wonder what will take place on new years eve and how late did the calabash festival go on for? I also wonder if there are exceptions to this law and if it is just a class/religious or morality campaign to dumb down certain members of society.
It is so ugly to judge people, to assume that people go out to create trouble as opposed to enjoying themself is really unfair. The vast majority of positive, grown adults with sense and a mind of their own would really take offence I'm sure.

I think that the stray goats are anything but a problem. Many tourist like that feeling that they are one with nature and the 'wild' animals help to create this. It makes one feel as though they are closer to the earth and all that is within it. LEAVE THE GOATS ALONE, GUNS WILL ONLY CASUE MORE PROBLEMS.IF anything should solve this problem, it is proper fencing.

Treasure Beach,would be better off with out being on the map, this is when every thing went wrong,all the hard drugs was not in TB until it went on the map,the ones that put it on the map should clean it up.We used to leave our doors open all day and go any where, come back and every thing would be in your house,not today.
Music is a part of our history coming back from Africa,our ansester used music and dancing to get them true the day's of slavery, so it's in our blood,I dont think some people would under stand what music means to us.

As Jamaicans music is in our blood, heart and soul, it’s a part of who we are as a people; as a nation, I don’t expect someone from another culture/s to understand this (no disrespect intended, every culture has its heritage, it just so happen that as Jamaicans we love the parting/socializing thing) its just the straight facts. We were all young at one point and we all love to party/socialize, when it comes to the loud music, the bottom line is you have to be respectful of other people music tolerance. And that my friends is the root cause of this problem, lack of respect: and its the demise of our deal beloved T/B.
“when I was a young boy growing up in T/B in the 80’s my van muffler broke off, and I drove around T/B for weeks just for the fun of the sound and gearing down coming down station hill, I’m sure it was a nuisances to some people, I eventual fix it not because I wanted to but out of respect for others”
But what I do not understand is why the same approach has not being adopted by the police towards the guns and drugs problems, yes people I said it, T/B has a gun & drugs problem and everyone is turning a blind eye, until they have to stare down the barrel of a gun, or see a love one OD or watch a loved one sniffing their future away, wake up people!. I would think rooting out the guns and drugs in TB, would take precedence over people parting/socializing oppose to people being killed, and the sad part is everyone know who these bad apples are, and not doing anything to stem this ugly, deadly, rotten business.

Thank-you For The People. Nothing is peaceful about loud noise. What has changed in Treasure beach is that people finally are expressing their views. I am sorry Concern feels he or she doesn't want to go home any more. Treasure Beach is a wonderful and peaceful place. Almost everybody is polite. Now we hope it will be quiet so ALL can enjoy it day and night.

I agree with Goat-tired if we have goats we should have land to feed them.I am just wondering when I go home and fence of my property what's going happen to all those TB goat owener's.We need to bring back the days of Alvin James he would shoot anything that come across his properties, that would send a clear message to those liberty taker.

I agree with a couple of points For the People makes:

First, what is "laid back and peaceful about loud deafening music"? - especially if someone else at the same time wants to listen to the sounds of nature rather than loud deafening music that is so loud sometimes, it makes your breastbone vibrate and fairly rattles your brains, or seems to. Again, I've no objection to anyone's enjoying loud music as long as his enjoyment of it doesn't interfere with my enjoyment of only the sounds of nature. After all, it is THOSE sounds, those sounds of NOTHING, sometimes, that are what we seek in TB, are what we visitors pay for when we visit TB - and it is the sounds of man that we seek to escape when we visit. Otherwise, where is the rest, the relaxation, the restoration of the soul that we so desperately seek when we are on vacation?

And the other good point For the People makes: how can anyone blame the villa owners for ruining things for those who either want, or don't mind, or who don't see anything untoward about dumping their noise onto others? After all, the villas do bring in work for the locals, do pump considerable money into the economy of TB.

How can anyone scorn another's desire for peace and quiet, and worse, by blasting his loud music, ensure that his neighbors don't get that peace and quiet they seek? Where's the fairness in that thinking? What do those of us who treasure peace and quiet, the sounds of nothing but nature, have to "retaliate" with? - our silence?

It's not that those of us who value peace above all else when on vacation don't like music. We just don't want someone else to determine what music we hear, and when, and how loud it is. It's not that we would deny others their music. It's a matter of imposing one's choice of noise on someone else, and I can see no justification, no rationale, for that.

Seems like there's a lot of back and forth on this topic.

So we've scanned the Noise Abatement Act front page for all here to read. And with that, we will close this thread to further comments since a lot of them are now going over the guidelines.

Please note: according to the law, there is a difference between a shop, a bar, a street dance, and a night club. The latter two must have a specific license that allows them to stay open until 2am.