You’ve undoubtedly been out and about more in your neighborhood as the weather gets nicer. But has your neighborhood gotten louder? It’s that time of the year when what police call “quality of life" calls start rolling in.
These are the calls that address issues that impact the overall quality of life in a community, rather than just serious crimes. These includes things like noise complaints, disorderly conduct and graffiti. As you can imagine, most of the violators live in that neighborhood.
So law enforcement is asking everyone to be courteous by following the speed limit and slowing down when you see kids playing; keeping the noise down; and respecting playgrounds.
Then there’s the issue of illegal vehicles. In April, Rochester disposed of more than 50 illegal ATVs and dirt bikes at the city's auto impound yard. The goal was to emphasize the importance of investing in public safety to promote quality of life in Rochester’s neighborhoods.
Rochester Police and the New York State Police Aviation Unit recovered 14 illegal off-road vehicles and issued 49 traffic violations in just two afternoon patrols.
Golf carts, go-karts, four-wheelers and dirt bikes are not for cruising down the road. They are unregistered and uninsured vehicles.
“Sure as anything, that go-kart, that golf cart, that dirt bike, that four-wheeler, is, unless they're incapacitated or the vehicle is drivable, oftentimes they are going to flee the scene of that crash," said Orchard Park Police Chief Patrick Fitzgerald.
That leaves a headache for the owner. Crashes can boost insurance costs as well.
Here's a look at the July 2024 complaints from Buffalo’s 311 line:
- High grass and weeds (452)
- General parking (305)
- Dog animal control (110)
- Housing or building violations (exterior) (661)
- Trash ordinance violation (210)