Fines in Morgan Hill for local fireworks violations will triple during the upcoming Fourth of July period, when calls to the police department for such violations historically reach sky-high volumes.
The tripled fines will apply to specified violations cited between July 2 and July 8, according to an announcement on the Morgan Hill Police Department Facebook page. Violations of three municipal code violations—possession of fireworks, discharge of fireworks and drunk in public—will be subject to tripled fines.
With the typical violation of a Morgan Hill municipal code section costing $100 in the off-season, these fines will thus rise to $300 per citation under the holiday triple fine ordinance, which the city council approved at the May 3 meeting.
“With hundreds expected to visit Morgan Hill over the upcoming Independence Day week, the Morgan Hill City Council has taken steps to ensure the City remains safe for everyone,” reads the MHPD post, adding, “Every available Morgan Hill Officer will be on duty throughout the week to ensure that residences and visitors enjoy a safe holiday week.”
The city council approved the triple fines for the specified violations during the Fourth of July period, as well as the days before, after and including New Year’s Eve. A city staff report notes that residents surveyed January 2017 indicated a preference for more enforcement of the violations during these times of celebration, which can bring thousands of visitors to town and associated illicit behavior to local neighborhoods.
“Although most (Fourth of July and New Year’s) celebration activities are law abiding, some have included excessive alcohol consumption, fights, overcrowded parks, packed recreational centers, and the use of illegal fireworks,” reads the May 3 staff report.
The use of illegal fireworks was “one of the top areas of concern” identified by respondents to the January 2017.
“Violations dramatically increase in many neighborhoods during the Fourth of July period because of the influx of patrons to the city events compared to other large celebrations such as Memorial Day weekend,” the May 3 staff report continues.
In 2016, MHPD responded to 35 calls reporting illegal fireworks from July 3 to July 5. During the same three days in 2015, police responded to 20 calls reporting illegal fireworks. In 2014, those calls tallied 50.
Morgan Hill city staff came up with the triple fine ordinance by researching what other cities in the region have done to crack down on illegal holiday fireworks. The City of Santa Cruz enacted a triple fine ordinance in 2014 for the 48 hours surrounding July 4, and the number of calls for service and citations has dropped since then, according to the Morgan Hill staff report.
In 2016, the cities of Oakland and San Jose also increased their fines for fireworks violations during the summer holiday.
The Morgan Hill staff report added that the holiday triple fine ordinance will help “educate, deter and mitigate the potential threat to safety by illegal fireworks during the specified periods.”
