Tag Archives: fireworks

City of Peoria, Peoria Fire Department, Peoria Police

More kids being kids (UPDATED 2x)

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Remember when we were kids, and how much fun it was to point fireworks at police officers and firefighters and shoot them off?

What, you didn’t do that? Well, that’s just the latest incident of kids being kids here in Peoria:

A “major incident” involving a large group of people shooting fireworks at police and firefighters occurred near the Taft Homes just before 10 p.m. Sunday, about the same time the fireworks show on the riverfront was ending.

Police had to briefly shut down Adams and Eaton streets, near Taft, as they dispersed the large crowds.

No officers or firefighters were injured, dispatchers said on the radio.

At one point, police were ordered to tell those in the crowd to go into their apartments, leave or be arrested for unlawful assembly.

I’m sure it was just a party that was letting out, and this large group was on its way home, having a little fun. There was no property damage or injuries, so there’s no reason for concern. In fact, I wonder if the fireworks were really being shot at police and fire personnel at all, given that there are no interviews with neighbors who corroborate that story.

[/sarcasm]

UPDATE: Another news source in town — 1470 WMBD — is now reporting that there were injuries. “One police officer was treated for minor burns and hearing loss, while police say a fire fighter was treated for hearing loss,” according to their report. They also say that police described the event as a “riot.” I question whether these reports are true, however, since the Journal Star said there weren’t any injuries. After all, the Journal Star has editors that vet these stories before printing them to make sure they’re accurate. They wouldn’t just print something they heard on police radio without verifying it with two other sources. Right?

UPDATE 2: The Journal Star has updated their story. They are now confirming that there were injuries to police officers and firefighters. And they have some video of the incident. I was most interested in the City’s plans to deal with this situation in the future:

The fire engine never made it to the burning trash bin. [Division Chief Gary] Van Voorhis said the fire was not threatening residents or property and was allowed to burn as officers assisted the engine in turning around and exiting Taft. […] Van Voorhis added that firefighters have been targeted by fireworks before, but that the magnitude of the incident Monday was unprecedented. In response, the department will review its policy of how to respond to crowded areas with fires that don’t appear to threaten anyone’s physical well-being or nearby property.

Peoria police, too, will devise enhanced security measures for Taft Homes next year, Burgess said. Revelers there have traditionally held private firework displays on the Fourth and previously made targets of police and passersby, though not to the same extent as Monday.

If I were on the City Council, I would also want to know why this “tradition” of illegal fireworks displays on PHA property and targeting of police and passersby has not been addressed before it escalated to this level. I would also want to know what effect recent cuts to police staffing levels have had in the police department’s ability to respond to this riot.

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Who follows fireworks laws?

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Every year around July 4, area newspapers run articles on fireworks safety (like this one), including the reminder that nearly all fireworks are illegal in the state; and those that are legal are probably illegal in your city. And every year, hundreds of area residents light sparklers, shoot off bottle rockets, and set off firecrackers anyway.

Next to speed limits, the most blatantly disregarded laws are arguably those against fireworks. Where I used to live, one of my neighbors would set off roman candles right on the street. And he was a police officer.

Since the states surrounding the Land of Lincoln have fewer restrictions on fireworks, Illinoisans can easily get an arsenal of pyrotechnics — in Missouri, especially. In fact, there are huge retailers that sell nothing but fireworks, and part of their marketing is to encourage Illinois residents to get their explosives before crossing the border.

And that’s apparently just what Illinoisans do. Every July 3, both before and after the Park District’s big fireworks display in Glen Oak Park, there are all kinds of skyrockets going off in the surrounding neighborhoods. And every July 4, you can hear all kinds of firecrackers going off until well into the evening. There seems to be a tacit consensus among residents that, as long as you’re not keeping your neighbors up at night, we’re not going to snitch on you.

After all, it is ironic that fireworks are iconic of American independence and freedom, yet are illegal. Perhaps that cognitive dissonance is what makes people so accepting of fireworks scofflaws. On the other hand, some will point to those who have been seriously injured or killed by fireworks as a justification for outlawing them. Fair enough. But generally speaking, injuries and death (and property damage, for that matter) occur because people are misusing fireworks (for example, shooting them off inside a house underneath the door to a fraternity brother’s room), and if we outlawed everything that could lead to injury or death if misused, we’d have to outlaw a whole lot of things, starting with bathtubs.

Don’t get me wrong — I’m not advocating breaking the law. I’m just acknowledging reality. On Independence Day, people are going to shoot off fireworks. They do it every year, despite media reminders that it’s illegal.

That said, have a fun and safe Fourth of July holiday weekend! I would encourage you all to enjoy legal fireworks displays at Glen Oak Park tonight and the Peoria Riverfront tomorrow. They’re better than anything you can buy at that big retailer in Missouri anyway.

Happy birthday, America!