Regina residents concerned about loud bangs from vehicles that sound like gunshots
Police service says it has received more complaints of gunshots, fireworks or loud bangs this year
Some Regina residents say they've been hearing gunshot sounds in their neighbourhoods — sometimes even past midnight — but the police say it's likely those noises could have been made by a vehicle's modified exhaust system.
The Regina Police Service said it has received more complaints of gunshots, fireworks, or loud bangs over the last year. Const. Mike Seel said firearm-related calls require them to respond with resources like multiple constables and at least one non-commissioned officer.
"We're getting a lot of gun calls from people kind of around the legislature and that's obviously a concern for us," he said.
"If it's a firearm call we need to take it very seriously, but when we're going there, we end up finding out it's vehicles that were driving."
People have also expressed alarm on multiple social media posts at what they believe was gunfire or fireworks. CBC talked to multiple residents in the Lakeview neighbourhood who confirmed they've heard the noises multiple nights this month.
"It's more of a safety concern if they're driving fast up and down Albert Street. People are walking, there's lots of pets out here. I don't know if you're making that much noise and driving that fast, whether you can stop quickly. It's concerning," Robin Borger, one of the residents, said.
Stacey Borger, Robin's husband, says the sounds have become aggravating for him.
"We don't have air conditioning, so we have our window open and you can hear the banging and it does sound like gunshots, like there's bang bang bang," Stacey said.
Stacey said, sometimes he's heard the noises after 2 a.m.
"I wake up and I'm old now so I don't sleep as well so I'm up for a while till I fall back asleep. You do hear them and it's every night and it's not just on the weekends," he said.
SGI introduced a new noise policy last year that it said was aimed at drawing "a line in the sand about how loud is too loud." That cap, the SGI said, is 101.3 decibels. According to SGI, the limit was set after researching the noise from stock vehicles, like a Ford Mustang Shelby.
According to SGI, if police find a vehicle's exhaust system has been modified or the muffler is broken, officers can order it to be repaired. Otherwise, they can order the vehicle be noise-tested and force it to meet the noise constraints. If they don't, drivers can have their registration cancelled.
Seel said it's difficult to enforce noise-related concerns because they come from all around the city.
"The minute we leave, they'll text all their friends saying, 'they're gone, come back' and they cause issues so that's the issue we have with that as well," he said.
Jason Mancinelli, co-owner of Driven Automotive in Regina, said that they've seen this happening on Regina streets for a while now. In the 70s, he said, people used to go as far as to put a spark plug in the exhaust to have a flame-thrower-like effect while driving.
Mancinelli is also the Ward 9 councillor.
"This isn't something new but I guess it's our generation's turn to deal with it and this is how it's showing up," he said.
SGI says inspection stations are open to anyone who wants to check their vehicles for noise. Police say if residents hear noises they think could be gunshots, they should still call it in.
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With files from Dayne Patterson