Ms. Barnes -
We are aware that the fireworks have begun to ramp up as they do this time of year. We encourage you to call us whenever this activity is happening, and we will do our best to address it right away.
There has been and will continue to be extensive messaging coming out from Menlo Park PD and Menlo Fire Protection District as we approach the Fourth, to provide education to the community on fireworks intolerance and fire safety, and encourage residents to call us when activity is afoot.
Recent Press Release:
https://www.menlopark.org/civicalerts.aspx?AID=642
We are also taking proactive measures to strike at the root of this activity and remove many of these dangerous fireworks from our community before they can ever be used, through a team effort between MPPD, EPAPD, and Menlo Fire. We have some early successes in that regard, and will continue to remove a significant amount of these fireworks before they become a further danger as we approach the holiday. To date, over 2500 pounds of fireworks have been seized, representing over 50,000 explosions stopped before they started. Our team continues to follow up on daily fireworks complaints for enforcement action.
The City of Menlo Park has also enacted a fireworks ordinance to allow us to better hold those selling or discharging fireworks in our jurisdiction responsible. This ordinance just recently passed through the City Council, and will be in place as an additional deterrence and enforcement tool in advance of the holiday weekend. Information is here: https://www.menlopark.org/1834/Fireworks
As we get closer to the Furth of July Holiday, please stay safe, encourage the community as we will to report any fireworks, and feel free to forward fireworks prevention and safety information that will come from MPPD's various media platforms to the community as needed.
David Norris
Police Chief
Police Department
701 Laurel St.
tel 650-330-6322
menlopark.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Cristy Barnes [mailto:bassobarnes@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2021 1:23 PM
To: city.council@cityofpaloalto.org; _CCIN
Subject: Fireworks
I'm writing about the persistent, daily fireworks that now seem to be part of evening life in Menlo Park. I'd like to know what measures are being done to address this problem, as it seems to only be getting worse. Besides keeping our children awake some evenings, our dogs are now starting to cower anytime they hear loud noises. These are dogs that NEVER used to care about fireworks on the 4th of July. What is being done by police or other authorities with regards to this issue? Thanks, Cristy Barnes
