Residents collaborating with app developers using a community mobile app helped police confiscate more than 100 illegal fireworks this month, Concord city officials said.
Police set up a fireworks reporting tab on the city’s Concord Connect mobile app, and during the first week of July it drew 458 reports.
That’s significantly more than the 320 fireworks calls made to the city’s 911 or non-emergency dispatch, showing that the reporting app worked as planned, Police Chief Mark Bustillos said.
“It allowed our 911 dispatchers to focus on responding to emergency calls, and it allowed our extra officers in the field to be dispatched immediately to fireworks-related calls, which resulted in the confiscation of more than 100 illegal fireworks.”
Through the app, residents could file real-time reports, alerting police to specific locations of people setting off fireworks. All fireworks are illegal in Contra Costa County.
The app collected data on where and when complaints were being filed, and residents could upload photos. Most reports came in between 9 p.m. and midnight and were more prevalent in certain parts of the city.
Police used the data to put four extra officers on patrol June 24-27 and July 2-4. A supervising officer monitored the real-time reports as they were logged and then communicated the locations to the team on patrol.
Average response times to the app-based reports were 5 to 15 minutes — faster than a fireworks-related non-emergency call being routed through 911 dispatch.
“This was a deterrence strategy that was intended to remind the community that fireworks are dangerous and illegal,” Bustillos said. “Our officers were visible throughout the community; they issued a handful of citations and took dozens of fireworks off the streets.”
The confiscated fireworks were logged, secured and then taken to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District for disposal.
Looks like a great trial run. How long until the app to report individuals for refusing C19 gene shots or being raycis coming out?
Wow
It seems to be brown natzi arm bands are being handed out faster than
The 600 dollar liberal acceptance checks
Yes i am aware of the fireworks and their danger
Yet the governor and and boards and councils all condone the repeated fires being set by …ohh yes the arsonists they released
Plaguing the highway 4 corridor
As well as San Pablo
Repeated grass fires
Consistent grass fires
Car fires
Commercial fires
Yet no system to report on bums and ill minded firebugs
Or rampant theft
Or crt in public schools Including elementary
No system to report abused women
Or the elderly
Good! We need to control illegal fireworks and also the use of them. Two homes were lost last night in Antioch due to illegal fireworks going off. Please stop accusing the cops and government officials including our governor of being like Nazi’s. You need to look at the destruction and terror these idiots are causing with their fireworks. Because there are always careless people out there we should never allow the sale of fireworks.
Random Task is right about this one. while the idiots that still roam the streets ect. and they are usually let off everything illegal. yet the Narc Squad is being enforced to rat out your neighbor for what using too much water, having a barbeque on a spare the air day. you get the point. Hey Popcorn it’s all part of the Nanny state plan. or should I say country. we need to get our priorities right before they get to way more out of hand. .
Ilovepop,
The point above was equal application of the law. This state government is being selective in who it wants arrested and prosecuted. Loot Neiman-Marcus, no problem, wealthy corporation shopped by white people, shoot patriotic fireworks…..go to jail.
Equal justice for all.
108RS
100 confiscated across across the entire community in 7 days? Some fool on Coventry shot off that many by himself in a few days. I wouldn’t say the effort was a resounding success. Perhaps if the fine for possession of illegal fireworks was significant ($10K seems reasonable to me) and there was a separate fine for setting one off, the reckless amongst us would have a second thought.
Can’t sleep bothering me
Can’t sleep it’s after the Fourth of July Stop them
So how much was collected from fines? 🤣
100 is what the police turned in, but how many did the police really confiscate? I had a neighbor who was a cop, and he and his buddy cops would keep most of the confiscated fireworks and shoot them off with their kids. They didn’t arrest anybody, they let them off with a warning, and when there is no arrest, there is no need to turn in any evidence.
Dawg,
I used to confiscate hundreds of pounds of fireworks and give warnings. Turned all of it in to fire stations for destruction.
108RS
not unlike cuomo, gavin was responsible for the deaths of 100s of elderly who died as a result of elderly patients recovering from covid19 being returned to their care homes.
#RecallGavinNewsom
This year is ridiculous, it’s July 11th and people are still setting off fireworks. One went off and almost caught our Christmas decorations on fire.
Nice.😁 My dead dogs are still hiding under the bed.
Don’t we have bigger problems? I’m shocked people urged others in
This sounds like a terrible idea. I didn’t shoot any off, but goodness. Let’s just tattle on all our neighbors shall we. Great community building exercise right there.
I’m sure next children will be encouraged to tell on their parents for “extremest” ideas… all in the name of “progress”.
Not a fan at all.
I reported several a few days in a row, but they kept going for another two hours. Not a success in my eyes. Maybe next year Neighborhood Watch should be on July 4th.
We also need community organized fireworks like The Singing Flag or Mt Diablo High School so private citizens don’t feel the need to violate the laws.
Also, let’s increase the fines beginning at $1,000 instead of $100 bucks. Lame.
Setting off fireworks or possessing fireworks is a crime. Arrest criminals, raise fines and let’s make some money. Devote an entire unit to this like arresting DUIs. I can’t wait.
Nazis!! This is America 2021, not Germany 1943!
Snitches end up with stitches or in ditches.
I bet everyone who used that app voted for Biden.
Make America Great Again!!!
If you do not want freedom, move.
God I am so glad were moving to a red state
There have been very extremely loud bombs going off for months now in the Concord, Clayton area. These aren’t just fireworks they are very loud explosions going off at all hours of the night and they started way before the fourth. The latest one was around 3:00 am on Pine Hallow Road right behind my house. It has gotten really old now. Really wish it would stop.
Confiscation of illegal fireworks is a great move. I wish more people had been cited and/or arrested, though.