Although the United States Men’s National Soccer Team couldn’t withstand the heat of the moment, Longmont sure did.
Longmont managed to escape the holiday weekend wildfire-free, while some fireworks-shooting residents escaped trouble-free. Despite the area seeing a wealth of unsanctioned fireworks shows, there was little Longmont Police was able to do to stop them.
Per Longmont Public Safety spokesperson, Robin Ericson. Between June 28 and July 5, Longmont Police…
Responded to 353 fireworks-related calls
Handed out zero citations.
Issued 33 warnings.
Why no citations?
Witness cooperation is critical. In order to cite a resident, Longmont Police needs a resident to sign off stating they witnessed the fireworks and know who set them off, or the officer has to witness it.
But the all-too-common obstacles include:
Witnesses are unwilling to testify.
Complaints are made anonymously.
Locations are unspecific.
To provided an even bigger obstacle, fireworks complaints typically aren’t considered “priority” calls. These are calls that demand an immediate response because of an imminent threat to life or major property loss. Therefore, fireworks issues tend to get shelved until officers are available.
Zooming out:
Though Longmont emerged unscathed, one nearby town did not. In Firestone, a large fire broke out following “improper fireworks use,” according to the Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District. Though no homes or buildings were burned, a fence, boat, and power line took extensive damage.
For what it’s worth, Longmont Police received just 114 calls for service on July 4. That’s far below June’s daily average of about 141. So, although there may have been illegal firework use, at least everyone (mostly) behaved. Learn more about the rules and protocol involving fireworks in Longmont here.