Kent officials struggle with noise, traffic woes

KENT — Continued irritation over speeding motorists and noise led the selectmen to consider options for remedies at their regular meeting on Thursday, Oct. 6.

A report from the town’s subcommittee on Noise and Traffic Control was presented by Selectman Glenn Sanchez, also a subcommittee member.

“Some people are not obeying traffic laws,” Sanchez began, indicating that the committee has been attempting to devise ways to assist the resident state trooper with enforcement. Sanchez asked whether the selectmen have a say in the amount of time the trooper devotes to in-town traffic enforcement duty.

The selectmen also discussed whether the trooper is equipped with a decibel meter to measure excessive noise levels. Selectman Rufus de Rham confirmed that troopers do have decibel meters, but it is cumbersome and time-consuming to initiate a traffic stop and then ask the driver to move the car to a quieter area for a decibel reading.

“The committee feels that something needs to be done,” Sanchez said, adding that the addition of a constable might be a possibility.

Town officials are also discussing adding a second state trooper as a School Resource Officer (SRO), Sanchez reported, but his committee is wondering how that officer would serve, particularly during the spring and fall when the SRO would be stationed at Kent Center School.

De Rham thought that traffic is now returning to pre-pandemic levels and operating with a rush-mentality once again.

Sanchez raised the issue of funding required to hire another trooper or a constable.

“If we don’t get another person, we need to help the current trooper,” Sanchez reasoned. “People are speeding, and we need to try our best to stop that.”

First Selectman Jean Speck clarified questions about contracts and communication. The current trooper operates under a two-year contract. Speck noted that if the town were to have a constable, there would be requirements such as formal accreditation for a local police department and a system to accommodate the required body-worn camera backed up by appropriate video storage and accessibility.

“Writing tickets is not the end of enforcement,” Speck noted. “The end is in the court system.” She said that 97% of the population follow the traffic laws. “The trooper writes a ticket, documenting a violation of a law, but the court systems are adjudicating it.”

Speck also introduced the possibility of “smart” benches and “smart” trash cans that have a capability for monitoring and documenting noise or other pollutants, employing built-in sensors to do that work.