The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today (Wednesday, July 6, 2022), presented the Guyana Police Force with 25 REED R8080 Data Logging Sound Level Meters with Bargraph, in a simple yet significant ceremony at the Officers Training Centre, Eve Leary.
EPA’s Legal Officer, Ms. Shareefah Parks, presented the Noise Meters to Acting Commissioner of Police Mr. Clifton Hicken, on behalf of EPA.
“As part of the MoA signed between the EPA and the Guyana Police Force, we are handing over these meter readers for noise as part of our programmes. We do look forward to your continued support and an effective team to tackle noise management,” Ms. Parks commented.
Lauding the gesture exhibited by the EPA, Mr. Hicken noted that noise pollution is a topical issue in our society and the meters will aid the Force in noise management and complaints of noise nuisance.
Furthermore, he posited that “as we develop our partnership with the wider stakeholders, we are going to ensure that we focus on noise pollution in a constructive way, and this will be done in conjunction with the EPA.”
The Top Cop further asserted that “members of the public can look out for the Guyana Police Force’s proactive arrangement in terms of dealing with noise pollution, which is expected to bring some degree of relief.”
The Guyana Police Force and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on Monday, May 16, 2022.
The MOA was signed by Deputy Commissioner ‘Administration’ (ag.), Mr. Calvin Brutus, and Executive Director of the EPA, Mr. Kemraj Parsram.
The agreement is a collaboration between the EPA and the Police in the field of training and enforcement of noise management and also to assist the EPA in mitigating noise nuisance.
The REED R8080 Data Logging Sound Level Meter has a quick responding triple range sound level meter with a backlit display, analog bargraph, and built-in memory to data log up to 64,000 points. It also has the ability to record samples on internal memory and keep track of registered readings with a time and date stamp. Calibration is an essential part of the necessary maintenance, and this will be done every three months.
A one-day training session is currently being conducted by the EPA on Noise Management, with police ranks from various divisions. The training include “a hands-on approach” to using the noise meter as well as case studies.
Noise pollution impacts millions of people on a daily basis. The most common health problem it causes is Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). Exposure to loud noises can also cause high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disturbances, and stress.
Also present at the handing over ceremony was Deputy Commissioner Administration (ag) Mr. Calvin Brutus, Deputy Commissioner Law Enforcement (ag) Mr. Wendell Blanhum, Head of Special Branch Mr. Errol Watts, Senior Environmental Officer, Head Complaints Mr. Surjpaul Singh, Senior Environmental Officer Candacie Brower-Thompson, Senior Environmental Officer Tashana Redmond and Environmental Officer Tethram Persaud.
(By CCUs Antonette Gonsalves, Photos by Clifford George and Troy Van Rossum)
