“Farmville Police will no longer issue warnings for noise complaints, and arrests will be issued as appropriate.”
This message was sent to the student body of Longwood University on Jan. 21 by Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Tim Pierson in a forwarded email from Chief of Longwood University Police Bob Beach and Town Manager Gerald Spates.
The email read, “It has been brought to my attention that students, parents, and townspeople have contacted local law enforcement to address serious concerns regarding behavior resulting in issues on Buffalo, Appomattox Street, and Oak streets.”
Police will now work with landlords to evict tenants who continuously violate the ordinance, according to the email.
Chief of Farmville Police Doug Mooney wanted to stress that this is not a change in policy, but instead, “The warnings have run out.”
This does not apply to all Longwood students, though.
Mooney stated, “Repeated warnings we’ve given to certain houses have not gained compliance. If you keep giving warnings with no teeth behind it and with no compliance, unfortunately nothing is going to change.”
Spates agreed, stating, “We just keep getting calls to the same place and giving warnings, and it doesn’t seem to be doing any good.”
The complaints have not been exclusively from residents in the Town of Farmville. Mooney reported that more calls come in from parents and even students who are “getting sick of it.”
Some students have misunderstood this change in policy as an act of discrimination from the Town of Farmville against Longwood students. “The only thing we’re after is illegal behavior,” said Mooney.
He added, “People who aren’t bent on committing illegal acts should have no problems with us. It’s the ones who are continuously doing these illegal acts, and that’s a very small percentage of students.”
Under chapter 16 of the Farmville Code of Ordinances, noise violations are classified as such: “No person shall create any loud or disturbing noise in the town. Noise of such character, intensity or duration as to be detrimental to the life or health of any person or to disturb or annoy the quiet, comfort or repose of any person is hereby prohibited.”
The code lists anything from animals and automobiles to music and phonographs.
More startling than this is the fact that, if someone violates the ordinance, they will be deemed guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.
A Class 4 misdemeanor may result in a fine of up to $250, according to the Virginia code.
It is Mooney’s hope that this change will not result in fines of arrests, but merely compliance with the Town’s ordinances. However, if this is not reached, then disciplinary actions will be taken.
Mooney said, that in the case of noise ordinance violations, “The judges usually start off with a fine, usually in the neighborhood of $50, and for second offences, if it’s the same address, the judge will usually make the fine a little bit greater each time.”
Mooney also stated that if there is a house where the problems can’t be controlled, then the house may be labeled as a common nuisance.
According to USLegal.com, “Any person thus maintaining a common nuisance commits a Class D felony.”
A Class D felony may be sentenced to a term of up to six years of imprisonment, according to the Virginia code.
The Code of Ordinances in the Town of Farmville is available online on the Town of Farmville website and may also be obtained by contacting the Town Manager’s Office.
According to Dr. Tim Pierson's Jan. 21 email, Buffalo St., Appomattox St. and Oak St. are the locations experiencing the highest volumes of noise complaints from local Farmville residents, parents and even Longwood students.
