SOUNDING OFF:

I’ve been in contact with the Huntington Beach Police Department since September 2007 regarding the noise disturbance generated by the department’s air unit while patrolling during the late evening and early morning hours.

I’ve been keeping and sending logs to Chief Ken Small, who has responded with a basic letter defining the policy of the air unit and the department is always concerned with the air unit (helicopter) noise but has no corrective action to my complaints. I asked Small several more questions regarding the air unit four months ago (and reminded him two months ago) and still have gone unanswered.

Most of my neighbors are annoyed by the late night and early morning flying of the department’s air unit, saying they are awoken all the time. I’ve found out that friends (mine and my neighbors’) in other areas of Huntington Beach feel the same and are not sure what can be done. When one pays close to $1 million for a home, the last thing one expects is being disturbed by the department’s air unit noise.

E-mails to the City Council members seem to have fallen on deaf ears. Although Councilman Don Hansen responded, he felt the issue should be addressed by the chief (back to square one) and that most council members do not feel the noise has been a disturbance.

I would like to know how other residents feel about this issue, and if they feel the flying time should be restricted to be similar to the airlines in and out of the Orange County airport (and others), and if the altitude range should be changed.

I’ve checked the Federal Aviation Administration website and found an area where one can file a noise complaint but have not pursued this avenue yet.

I am looking forward to see what responses come of this.

CHUB DOMOTOR is a Huntington Beach homeowner.