Emma Wallace 
Fair Lawn residents now have a new way to report recurring noise disturbances, not from next door but across the Passaic River. Repeated complaints from residents about noise coming from Paterson prompted Fair Lawn officials to start a hotline where noise complaints can be documented and heard by Paterson police. Continue reading to learn about Fair Lawn’s noise complaint hotline.
Years of Resident Complaints
According to Mayor Cristina Cutrone, Fair Lawn residents have complained for years about persistent noise they believe originates in Paterson. Because parts of the borough sit directly across the Passaic River, residents say loud music from restaurants and portable speakers can carry into otherwise quiet neighborhoods, particularly during the warmer months.
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The neighboring municipalities belong to different counties, with Fair Lawn located within Bergen County and Paterson in Passaic County. Paterson has a significantly bigger population than the adjacent borough at around 161,793 people, while Fair Lawn holds about 37,128 people.
The streets that connect Fair Lawn to Paterson from beyond the river, such as Maple Avenue and Fair Lawn Avenue, can be less than 500 feet long, according to Google Maps. Fair Lawn officials directed these noise complaints to contact Paterson police directly since the city is out of their jurisdiction. However, this process left Fair Lawn without any way to know the scope of these complaints, where they came from, and trends that would help combat the problem.
How the Hotline Works
The borough decided to introduce a hotline residents can call when they have a noise complaint from Paterson. Callers are still transferred to the Paterson Police Department, but now Fair Lawn will keep track of these reports. The initiative launched on July 23rd, and borough officials hope the information collected will help identify recurring patterns and improve coordination with Paterson officials.
“We’re hoping that the data is actually really helpful to Paterson, so that they can kind of figure out maybe a solution that’ll help both of our residents,” Mayor Cutrone told NBC New York. Fair Lawn residents can call the hotline at 201-777-6144 to report noise they believe is from Paterson. These calls will provide Fair Lawn with information regarding when and where noise nuisances are taking place.
Paterson has not unveiled any new noise-cancelling initiatives. The Bergen County Girl has reached out to the city of Paterson for comment. The city of Paterson said it has no comments at this time.
“Listen, I think we all have to work together, not everything is just a local issue,” Mayor Cutrone told NBC New York. “This impacts families on both sides of the river, so we’re always open to helping with that.”
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