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Those lighting off illegal fireworks in Glendale this Fourth of July face stiff fines more than five times higher than in the past.
The minimum fine for a fireworks violation in the city will now be $1,500 rather than the $275 it had been prior. A second offense now carries a minimum fine of $2,000. The legal classification for the crime remains a Class One misdemeanor.
Deputy City Manager Rick St. John said the final cost for Glendale residents or visitors setting off illegal fireworks will be in the $1,800-1,900 range once court and administrative fees are added. Mr. St. John also said plain-clothed detectives will be on the streets this weekend looking for firework violations.
“What we’re trying to do is demonstrate the city’s aggressive stance against illegal fireworks,” Mr. St. John said.
The question is how many people will these fines actually affect? In 2019, Glendale police responded to 735 calls relating to fireworks and made only one criminal report as a result. Mr. St. John, Glendale’s former police chief, said it’s a very difficult crime to enforce, because it’s hard to catch someone in the act.
“I don’t know the exact circumstances of 2019. Having worked in law enforcement for a number of years, I can tell you we get a lot of complaints about fireworks. They stack up, and you typically aren’t able to respond in a time frame that allows you to view the violation. And by Arizona law, to cite for a Class One misdemeanor, it has to be viewed by the police officer. So, my guess is that’s why there weren’t more offense reports generated,” he said.
A law enforcement officer would have to see a person using a firework to cite them for a crime. It is against Arizona law to sell and use illegal fireworks, but it is not against the law to own them.
Cholla District Councilwoman Lauren Tolmachoff said it could still act a deterrent, especially if the city spread the word of the increased fine through social media.
Mr. St. John seemed confident the city could raise that rate by putting plain-clothed detectives in neighborhoods to monitor for fireworks.
“Let ‘em know. There are going to be undercover officers — plain-clothed detectives — roaming your neighborhoods. If you’re shooting off illegal fireworks, you’re going to get caught, and it’s going to cost you,” Mr. St. John said.
State law allows some firework-type novelties year-round, some only on specific days of the year and some fireworks are illegal at any time. Novelties such as toy smoke devices and sparklers are always permitted. Devices such as ground sparklers, sparkling wheels, ground spinners and sparkling trees are legal only on certain days, including June 24-July 6. Devices that shoot in the air and detonate are always illegal, including bottle rockets, firecrackers, Roman and candles without the proper permitting granted to professional companies. The latter group are the type Glendale police will be on the lookout for.
The fine hike is not officially written into law as the minimum fine yet but can still be in effect this July Fourth as Council’s suggestion to courts on what the fines for fireworks offenses should be, Mr. St. John said. Council is considering further changes to the city’s fireworks ordinance, such as the time of day restriction. Once Council finalizes the changes to the ordinance, in August at the earliest, the new minimum fines will become law.
Mayor Jerry P. Weiers said he didn’t believe a fine alone would be a deterrent.
“I guess this is the age-old thing that we get into all the time, by increasing the fine is not going to stop it. The education, I think, is what’s going to help more than anything,” he said.
Vice Mayor Ray Malnar of the Sahuaro District disagreed, saying he believes teens are some of the main users of illegal fireworks. He said if he were the parent of a teen, he would make extra effort to lay down the law with them if he knew firework violations carried such a hefty fine.
“As a parent, if I had knew that this was the law, I would darn make sure that my kids aren’t firing off fireworks that were illegal, because it’s going to come back to the parents,” Mr. Malnar said.
Mark Carlisle Associate Editor | Daily Independent @mwcarlisle
Mark is passionate about accurately informing his readers to what is happening in their community. He also loves reading and writing about sports.
Mark has worked for Independent Newsmedia for five years. He married his high school sweetheart, adopted a boxer mix, and awaits his first child.
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