WERE THE illegal fireworks not quite as awful this year?(Shutterstock).
By Jim Tortolano/Orange County Tribune
It may not seem like it for some residents, but the problems associated with the use of illegal fireworks appear to be in decline.
At Tuesday’s meeting of the Garden Grove City Council, reports were made suggesting a lessening of calls for service related to the pyrotechnics around the Independence Day holiday.
Police Chief Amir El-Farra told the council that the number of calls for fireworks problems declined from 166 in 2022 to 160 this year. A total of 27 citations were issued by police for using illegal fireworks.
The GGPD put an extra 24 officers on duty in an effort to curb the July 4 problems.
Division Chief Craig Covey of the Orange County Fire Department – which provides fire and paramedic service for Garden Grove – said that calls for service to OCFA also declined, from 55 to 50, continuing a trend which he attributed in part to the impact of the $1000 fine for using fireworks that are not “safe and sane.”
The council also heard updates on the Civic Center Revitalization Project and the Parks Master Plan.
Next meeting of the city council is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug, 8.