The Seattle City Council updated its community noise ordinance, giving police the authority to crack down on excessive sound near Alki Beach, where homeowners complained about loud engine noise, blaring stereos and screeching tires, according to a report by www.king5.com. Police may now issue citations for muffler and engine sound that “can be clearly heard by a person of normal hearing at a distance of 75 feet or more from the vehicle.”

Previously, the ordinance required police to measure exhaust sound with sound meters. A summary of the ordinance states that the Police Department does not possess noise meters and that police find the meters are difficult to use and calibrate.