Long Beach police and fire personnel were kept busy during the Fourth of July weekend, according to statistics provided by authorities, with police responding to 444 firework-related calls Sunday and Monday and lifeguards assisting in 222 swim rescues on Independence Day.
From Sunday, July 3 to Monday, July 4 police were dispatched to 444 pyrotechnic calls and received 522 reports from callers who heard fireworks but could not provide a specific location, said Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) spokeswoman Nancy Pratt. That reported information is generally aired over the radio so field officers are aware and keep an eye out, she added.
From June 25 to July 4, police issued 63 firework citations. During that time, officers also made 97 felony arrests and 119 misdemeanor arrests and issued 89 misdemeanor citations—all non-firework related, Pratt said.
In a Facebook post earlier this week, Mayor Robert Garcia shared data regarding police and fire department responses on the Fourth of July.
According to his post, public safety personnel and lifeguards on the beach assisted in 222 swim rescues, 338 medical calls, 67 boat assists, 28 boat rescues and 59 lost children eventually reunited with their relatives, Garcia stated.
Garcia also stated the LBPD had 686 calls for service related to fireworks on Monday—a 12 percent increase from last year, which saw 612 calls for service.
“They had hundreds of more calls for service on non-fireworks related issues,” Garcia stated.
Police confiscated more than 310 illegal fireworks on Monday, a 118 percent increase from last year, where police confiscated 142 illegal fireworks.
From June 25 to July 3, officers confiscated 267 illegal fireworks.
As previously reported, LBPD and LBFD seized about 500 pounds of fireworks from July 1 to July 5, and a 17-year-old boy severely mangled his right hand in a firework accident Monday night.
“I want to thank our police, firefighters, and lifeguards for saving lives and property over the weekend,” Garcia stated. “I wish more local residents and visitors were more respectful of our neighbors and the immense cost to the city.”