The Santa Ana City Council unanimously approved a $1,000 fine for the use and possession of illegal fireworks in our city, on the Fourth of July, according to the O.C. Register.
I have to give kudos to Councilman Roman Reyna for overruling the City Staff, which recommended a measly $250 fine. It was Reyna who suggested increasing the fine to $1,000.
The bad news for non-profits is that the City staff has determined that they need to collect a $1,354 administrative fee in order to cover the Police Departments enforcement and education efforts on the 4th of July.
It is likely that this fee will be imposed on the non-profits that run the “safe and sane” fireworks booths in our city. Or perhaps the fireworks industry will pay for part of this fee.
While the $1,000 fine sounds impressive you have to wonder if the SAPD will bother to enforce this fine. SAPD Police Chief Carlos Rojas admitted at a recent City Council meeting that when he was personally confronted by residents using illegal fireworks last year, he turned tail and ran. If our Police Chief doesn’t have the huevos to stand up to those using illegal fireworks then it is unlikely that the rank and file cops will bother to arrest or fine anyone.
