Police Community Meeting On Noisy Kite Flying
The Police Western Community Action Team recently hosted a community meeting regarding the loud noise from kite flying. “There were approximately 50 people in attendance – including area residents and members of an organised kite flying group – who expressed their appreciation for a forum where their concerns could be heard and any relevant issues raised addressed”, according to police.
A police spokesperson said, “As a result of numerous complaints by members of the public regarding the loud noise from kites being flown around the island – which in some cases have led to physical altercations – the Western Community Action Team convened a community meeting at Bright Temple AME Church on Friday, February 8th from 6:30pm until 8:30pm to allow all concerned to express their views, share some suggestions and identify solutions.
“There were approximately 50 people in attendance – including area residents and members of an organised kite flying group – who expressed their appreciation for a forum where their concerns could be heard and any relevant issues raised addressed.
“The facilitators of the community meeting, Constable Valerius Jean Louis and Constable Cerepha Bridgeman of the Western Community Action Team, informed those in attendance that Section 18A of the Summary Offences Act 1926 states, “any person who, in any public place flies any kite over the public place to the annoyance or danger of any passenger or frequenter commits an offence against this Act.”
“Chief Inspector Tracy Adams and officers from the Central Community Action Team were also on hand representing the Bermuda Police Service [BPS].
“Several extracts from the Act were given to those in attendance and some suggestions were shared by attendees which included:
- to desist from flying noisy kites during the night.
- to avoid flying the kites in areas where there have been several complaints, or fly in those areas where there have been complaints only when the winds allow for the kites to be flown over the water, so as to avoid annoying anyone landside.
- amending the law to regulate or include kite flying periods, which were sanctioned by MPs Lawrence Scott and Neville Tyrrell, who were present.
- inviting members of the organised kite flying groups, representatives of the BPS and the Department of Public Prosecutions [DPPs] office to discuss the law and the issues via a radio or television talk show in an effort to educate the public, as well as to receive feedback.
“One major concern was the fact that some people would usually cut the string attached to the kite and it was made abundantly clear that doing so is potentially very dangerous as the string can then be caught anywhere, which can cause serious injury to individuals, especially bike riders or other commuters.
“It was also mentioned that the majority of persons flying kites are members of an organised group who love the Bermuda culture of kite flying and wish for the culture to stay alive.
“As requested by those in attendance, it is hoped that at future meetings – to be held in the central and eastern parishes – a representative from the DPPs office can attend.”
At least the kites don’t have cameras like the drones do! I’ll take the nuisance over the invasion of privacy any day!
I like to flash the drones when they fly over my house, although they prob wont see much unless that drone has a NASA grade zoom lense.
TMI lol
So you’re saying it takes a NASA grade zoom lens mounted onto a drone for it to actually see what it is you’re flashing? LOL!!
I am SO THANKFUL that this has been labeled as such a serious concern amongst residents on our island. With ALL that is going on in the WORLD right now, I rather have these problems in my country any day. Noisy night kites and string cutting = serious community concerns. I am so grateful for all those who invested time and energy into the negativity surrounding paper kites; whether it be complaints, the arguing and fighting or showing up for this organized meeting. If this is where our concerns lie, I think Bermuda will be ok everyone.
Your scarcasm is noted.
Do you think this is as important of an issue that we need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on it and drag it through the courts and the press for years, like same sex marriage? All to the remove rights from one small group in society?
Your stance on that matter please?
Sir, the article you’ve chosen to comment on today is about paper kites and the noise they make; you’ve decided to bring up same-sex marriage. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and guess that the rainbow colors found in kites moved you to comment on that.
Stay focused mate.
so the complaint is about the actual flapping noise that a kite makes while in flight during strong winds; or the noise from groups of people flying kites?
The hummers that are placed on the string are what make the noise…it is incredibly annoying…especially when you are trying to sleep!!! It’s like a mosquito multiplied 5000%.
Thanks to the BPS as I know this is a real problem for many. But, at the same time I love that we have to have a community meeting on kite flying. It reminds me that as bad as we think things are at times, when this is the kind of story that makes the headlines, things are not so bad…in comparison.
I feel so safe now knowing that this important matter has received the proper level of attention that it deserves. A true testament of proper allocation of the public purse to address this matter to this level above all else that is going on around us. It really puts into perspective how serious of a matter this really is & that we can find public funds to address this serious situation in a time that public funds can’t be found to fully fund public schools. I always felt Bermuda was under-regulated and its’ people allowed too much freedom. Please put into place the enforcement of these important regulations such as Section 18A and update it to include everyone should not offend anyone in any shape form, or fashion or in any way. I put forward my suggestion of including a law against anyone cooking any foods on peoples property on days that the wind should carry said smells outside of the said property boundaries. I find it offensive that one should cook such foods as to tempt me away from all the efforts I have put into my diet. Some people are just so inconsiderate when their cooking & I can’t find refuge even in my own home from the aroma of temptation emanating from the neighbors’ kitchen & (even worse) BBQ’s. Please BPS, address this situation as I feel it deserves even higher attention than the enforcement of Section 18A, let’s call it section FA for “Food Aromatics”. I suggest a specific task force be formed to address this serious situation with the task force being named “P.A.F.A” (Police Against Food Aromatics), this task force can be financed from the proceeds of the new sugar tax & will aide against public obesity by removing such tempting aromatics.
Tl;dr
I didn’t read your whole post because its too long, and id argue that maybe only 1% of people do…but you must understand the police are able to work on many issues at once. It’s quite simple. You act as if the couple hundred dollars spent on this meeting will solve the public school issue. The police get calls regarding this on a DAILY basis and there has already been a physical altercation over this issue so yes, it IS something they must address. How about you start fund raising money for the public school purse instead of spending what looks like a good amount of time writing an essay complaining.
Reading is key, I suggest you do so.
Well there’s 2 minutes of my life I’ll never get back.
The C.A.T Police unit’s role within the community is to bridge gaps between the public and the police. They are their to meet and get to know those in their area.
They are not a unit that deals with severe antisocial behavior and will not be the ones to show up in a severe crime scene. The BPS surprisingly have multiple other units for that. They are well equiped to handle multiple concerns that we the public have and meet with us to try to bridge gaps. I live in a house where I can have up to four kites at a time fly over it all day with the loudest hummers that could drive you to the point of insanity, I have had them crash in my Yard and have also had a thick string run through my drive way that got caught in my son’s wheel of his bike, luckily he didn’t get injured. I don’t mind people flying kites, but I do mind the sound of the kite drowning out my home.
Well, it’s funny that when there are so many other pressing matters it’s the very same BPS saying they’re understaffed. So it seems that the story changes as the narrative requires. I have personally called the police for a crime only to have to complain about response time (over 40 minutes) to only be told there is a limited amount of staff on given shifts (which as at night when crime rises was early in the evening), other times I have tried turning in found items to be told (via cellphone because the provided phone outside of the station wasn’t working) that there is no front desk staff & to take it to another station. I had a car rear end me once, tried calling the police only to be told they no longer show up to crashes unless there is a severe injury. Heard a complaint from a lady who had her house broken into that when she tried to have the police gather the information from her security cameras that she was told that she would have to do it herself, edit it to the section of the evidence that shows the crime, put it on a memory stick & turn it in to a station that isn’t even close to were she lives. Once she tried to turn it in she was told that she would have to wait until a working station was found to download it. So either the BPS is properly founded to properly address real crime or under founded so address petty nuisance issues.
If you look into the history of kite flying, yes, it is very Bermudian. However if you do your research on hummers I think you would be surprised. Hummers were first introduced back in the early 1600’s and were used as a means to attract a partner. The first known users of hummers were losers and/or lacked the physical appearance to attract a mate. As this newly found technology developed a trend was soon realized that the louder the hummer the smaller the endowment of the user. Exasperated at the lack of a partner these hummer grew louder and louder. Fast forward 400 years, people are getting vexed. In a unique twist of events and in uncustomary fashion the Police Western Community Action team has organized a speed dating event disguised as a discussion in hopes that the poor hummer will find a mate and restrict putting their roots on display to Good Friday.
Just don’t use hummers all day long over people houses. If it’s going to be over people’s houses then remove the hummers
Most people cant think logically unfortunately
Can we please tackle noisy bikes next!
Kite flying does not bother anybody. People complain about the noise that inconsiderate kite flyers create with the loud hummers. Simply remove the hummers and enjoy flying your kite without irritating the whole neighborhood.I hope the police will enforce the law when complaints are received.
A little respect would go a long way.
Unreasonably loud, obnoxious kites being flown all day and night are ridiculous. I am Bermudian and find it invasive. You can’t aleep. You are forced to close your windows. You can’t sit on your lawn and talk.
It’s selfish and in your face. These people should show some respect.
There is simply no need for “the loudest hummers I can make” on your kite as it’s sole purpose is to annoy people period.
Thank you BPS.
This will turn nasty if not addressed.
Johnny B. There have been sightings of loud noisy kites flying since Bermuda was called Devils island. Out of all the years living here on this island, my home,I have yet to hear or see anything that fits the description of the sailers account of their sightings.
We all know that there is no such thing as a witch. But yet experienced sailors claimed to see something that they had never seen, and could only explain it to be a witch.
Johnny I’m just investigating the many accounts of the sailors that have told their story of devils island. Johnny we both intelligent humans right. So if the sailor’s didn’t see a witch then what is it that they saw? A bird? Could it be that the cowhow screamed and cried in the air, and tricking the “slave traid sailors” into believing that the bird, itself, to be a witch? If true, why don’t we hear the screams today? Was it the pig? If the pigs could scream so loud to be heard miles from land we would never get anysleep.
So Mr johnny B I have a question for you, well a few questions. Did the sailors lie about seeing and hearing something? What was it they saw that makes sence? Who was in control of what it was that they saw and heard? A little FYI for you part of being a kite maker is keeping the technology a mystery.
That was a made up story and what I though would be clearly recognized as a joke
Lol you know they fly hummers to let you know who has the goodie ….. or did I reveal to much … sips tea
Urban myth debunked a long time ago. Don’t choke on your tea.
Sorry not debunked…
I’ve had this conversation many times..with different ages…older people…oh it’s not true..They just love flying kites..
Younger generation..oh hell yes,,supply in d island.their words not mine..
So it is what it is..But it’s inconsiderate and very irritating when it’s your window the noise is coming through..day after day sometimes
This is the 21st century. Drug dealers have WhatsApp and it is encrypted end to end. I don’t think they need to put up a kite anymore! These people are just being a pain in the ass.
Do people still actually believe this garbage?
Obviously it’s the hammers that people want not the kite o’er say. If the hummers are getting louder that where the flyers are putting the emphasis.
Why 6 policemen in the room $$$$$$ ?
It is not a national disaster, is it ?
We could put hummers on cars and bikes that way we would know when they are speeding.
Are the hummer used to show the agony on the cross?
can we tackle noisy neighborhood children next….I find it disgusting that on weekends when I’m off from work they have the nerve to be outside playing, shouting and kicking ball!! for crying out loud I’m trying to get some rest! How inconsiderate. You people need to raise quieter children!
I guess they may be better at following the line from the kite to the home than they are at following the crime scene to the criminal
Hello, I’ve read most above comments..First people are not complaining about kite flying…in general but it’s the ones with hummers..
Second. The guys selling drugs down the road are not flying the damn kite to keep Bermuda Culture alive, who the hell you kidding…
And people saying leave them it’s our culture…
You work all night and have that kite humming load out your window…deal with that or my mom with dementia who is bed bound, saying what’s that horrible noise…over and over..
Sorry ban the kites with hummers..no problem once a year for we all enjoy the beautiful kites..no problem with kites without the noise..
It’s seems to be ok with everyone, unless it’s your window it’s blasting