Santa Ana cops began to crack down on illegal fireworks in 2007, according to the O.C. Register. I find that hard to believe but I guess we have to take the SAPD at their word.
Supposedly the SAPD will have about 20 cops and 8 arson investigators working on the 4th of July to bust those who are using illegal fireworks.
California fire authorities are freaking out this year about fireworks because the state is so dry. Those are valid concerns but legal fireworks are not normally the problem – not when the legal fireworks are used as they are intended to be used.
“In 2006, Santa Ana police arrested 59 people and confiscated 2,400 illegal fireworks. The following year, the focus shifted to confiscating the illegal fireworks, which resulted in 16,000 illegal fireworks taken off the streets and three arrests,” according to the O.C. Register.
My neighborhood, in north Santa Ana, was replete with illegal bottle rockets last year. I can only imagine what central Santa Ana was like. Let’s see if this year is any different.
I believe in allowing the use of legal fireworks but those using illegal fireworks absolutely should be dragged off to jail and heavily fined. I have no mercy for those that sell or use such fireworks. Hopefully the SAPD won’t either.
We will see what the will of SAPD is this 4th of July. Last year, as Thomas said, “Stevie Wonder could have done a better job.”
Please,let me tell everyone what it’s like here in Heninger Park, our streets look like a war zone. Obviously (by the sound level) illegal fireworks have been going off the past week.
It will get worse as the 4th approaches. I’m all for charities fundrasing efforts but I’d like to know the amount of taxes or fees the City receives from these vendors vs the amount the City spends in OT for PD and FD.
Hey, maybe the council can get together and commission a 1M dollar study to investigate the issue.Why the City allows fireworks is beyond me I’d like to see our City Manager and Mayor in our neighborhood for about 4 hours the evening of the 4th.
As for legal fireworks, they are regularly “modified” to the degree that they too are a hazard.
Please spread the word….the M-80’s, possession or use….will send the provider or user directly to jail this year! Bottle rockets too!
R&A,
I hope you really don’t believe that. With shootings, other crime, DUI’s and all that comes up the worse these people will get will be a ride to jail, booked, a ticket and kicked out the back door in an hour. There is just not enough room in our jails to hold on to these people.
I wish you were right, but sitting in jail over the 4th isn’t the case unless they built a few more jails since last year. The sad part is I’ve seen more sky rocket shows over Santa Ana in past years than over professional stadium events. Of course that always ends up with some house or brush fires or even worse.
*Joe Arpaio…tent cities everywhere on the 4th!!
Just kidding…but firing .308 or 9MM ammo into the air should be a felony of the worst sort! Those rounds land…sometimes on little babies, sometimes on old people, sometimes on property that gets set on fire. M-80’s are the equivalent to a quarter stick of dynamite. I used them with
impunity as a child. I set the shingle roof of our house on fire when I lived in Fullerton. Nothing like a 12 year old with a hose on full….praying, praying….and Thank Goodness, God found me!
If we need to go around with cattle cars and jokingly drive these arrested people around the city streets all night….we should do it! This
could be a real test for Chief Walters….if he
is considering running against Sheriff Hutchens in a year or two!
rw
R&A
The sad truth is no one ever remembers, especially when election day is a year or so down the road. SAPD puts more cops out making overtime on Bristol and Edinger during cruise nights, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. If the SAPD was serious about clamping down on these fireworks they would put every cop they have out on the streets. The money to be made is during cruise night, not on the 4th. Twenty cops is a nice token gesture.
No doubt they will have some great numbers to show on July 5th, but when you are shooting fish in a barrel it’s hard to miss.
And in their infinite wisdom, the Santa Ana City Council approved additional hours of sale for the legal fireworks.
Heninger Park is not the only neigbhorhood saddled with an overabundance of legal/illegal fireworks.
Footnote,
Since the 4th is on a Friday SAPD will probably be able to combine money making cruiser weekend nights with the 4th of July enforcement and really inflate the numbers of arrests and citations. I wouldn’t put much faith in the stats that come out this weekend.
R&A Sadly we don’t have a Sheriff Arpaio. But we do have a new Sheriff although she has little to do with what Walters does in SA.
Is there a \HOTLINE\ for illegal fireworks? It’s only 9:30 and already my neighborhood off 4th and Grand is popping with the sound of firecrackers etc. I can help them with their \crackdown\ with a phone number I’ll be glad to put on my speeddial. My dogs have been trembling and drugged since Tuesday. It’s ridculous with most of California on fire as I type…
Jody,
I could not find any such hot line on the Santa Ana web page. But you may call the Santa Ana Police Department at (714) 245-8665. Or the Santa Ana Fire Department at 714-647-5700.
you guys suck. stop ruining our fun.
Most of you sound like the type who would ban sparklers. Mostly this is a way for the pigs to get OT and make money off of fines. What ever happened to free Americans who used to be smart enough to use fireworks? Now they want us to go to shows, and sit passively like sheep. Not on the 4th baby!
firework is fireworks. let us have our fun. if we get injured or hurt its on us. stop tryin be our parents Fuk off
Yeah i dont know why there saying illegal fireworks are dangerous if alot of the fires that are happening right now are caused by dryness of grass or people setting up fires to camp its ridicoulous, one day in this state they should have a vote to legalize illegal fireworks so people could have fun and be free and do whatever they want with illegal fireworks cause the police are just taking the fun away and putting people to jail for something that didnt even cause anything or even set a fire, also safe and sane fireworks can be dangerous too cause a little spark could go onto grass and start a fire, so they should have a vote to legalize fireworks so people could have much more fun.
Also with the sale of fireworks it could boost the economy up since we are in a budget crisis and could make much of that money up if we legalize illegal fireworks.