The Eco-Conscious Citizens have petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to help provide dedicated telephone numbers to deal with complaints of noise pollution. The petition signed by the Coordinator of Eco-Conscious Citizens Awula Serwah said that, during out-of-office hours, the Police Service is the only agency on duty and Citizens are entitled to expect them to take complaints seriously and put a stop to any breach of the Law without hesitation. It said, Section 296(8) of the Criminal Offences Act, Act29 empowers the Police to arrest persons who play music in public between 8 PM and 6 AM without the written permission of the local assembly or relevant minister. “Unfortunately, officers called on Noise Pollution complaints after 8PM rarely ask noise makers to produce their permit or stop the noise nuisance. This failure to do their job has a direct impact on the quality of life of Citizens - excessive noise damages our health and we should not be expected to endure it”. “We respectfully urge you, where possible, to please put out dedicated telephone numbers where noise nuisance complaints can be made, and to remind officers to take noise complaints seriously. We rely on the Police to protect the citizenry and help fight the canker of Noise Pollution”, the petitioners appealed to the IGP. The petition noted that, noise nuisance is a criminal offence, and enjoying the season should not be seen as an excuse to break the Law and reduce the quality of life of fellow citizens. “Businesses can make money without inflicting Noise Pollution on their patrons and neighbours. The current noise level in many parts of the country from churches, drinking spots, social events, commercial announcements, event centres, to restaurants hosting live bands in residential areas is often unbearable. Noise Pollution damages our health and causes Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)”, it said. According to the petition, noise pollution has many dangers including causing high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disturbances, and stress as well as reducing productivity. “It is imperative that noise laws are enforced to protect us all. Many Ghanaians are dreading the increased noise levels during the Christmas period and the reluctance of some Police Officers to enforce noise laws”. It said that complainants are often asked to go to the Environmental Protection Agency or the Municipal Assembly when officers know that the said offices are usually closed after 5PM and on weekends. “The Law gives responsibility for enforcing Noise Nuisance to three agencies for good reason. Unfortunately, it seems as though rather than collaborating to enforce the Law robustly, we are often subjected to “pass the buck”, where each agency expects the other to act and noise pollution continues unabated. The three agencies need to work together effectively and efficiently” the petition added. The group has therefore appealed to the IGP to use his good office to ensure that noise laws are enforced at all times and that Ghanaians have a peaceful yuletide free from noise pollution.