When you are disturbed by noise from barking dogs or amplified sound, such as music from a party or a neighbor’s loud television, you may choose to report it through the non-emergency line at Salem Police, 503-588-6123.

City response

Police will no longer respond in-person to this type of call. Instead, a Salem Police representative will follow up to confirm the address of the noise complaint and get more details about the noise issue, such as type and duration, to document the complaint.

The documentation will help us determine any additional follow-up that needs to occur, especially as it pertains to locations with repeated noise complaints.

Repeated noise issues

For those properties which have repeated complaints, additional follow-up may be conducted. A Salem Police representative will review instances of multiple noise complaints and determine any additional level of follow-up that needs to occur.

Other Options

Talk to your neighbor

Politely share the impact the sound is having on you, such as:

• volume,
• late hour, or
• frequency.

Mediation

Conversations can be neighborly and easy, but guided assistance is another available option. Trained mediators can help facilitate constructive conversation about many types of neighborhood disputes.

Marion County – Neighbor-to-Neighbor Mediation Services, 503-585-0651

Polk County – Community Mediation Services of Polk County, 503-623-3111

Be a Good Neighbor

If you are planning a large gathering, consider the impact to your neighbors along with your other plans.

First, start by letting your neighbors know in advance. Give them the details, such as:

• how many guests you expect
• how late the party will go
• your telephone number, so that if it gets too noisy or a guest’s car is blocking the driveway, then they can easily call you.