Redwood City police make arrests, seize illegal fireworks in July 4 operation

(KRON) — Redwood City police officers made two arrests, gave out approximately 65 warnings and seized nearly 600 illegal fireworks on the Fourth of July, the police department announced Monday.

The Redwood City Police Department said it activated extra resources over the holiday weekend to address fireworks being set off across the city. Fireworks are illegal in Redwood City, authorities said, because of the fire danger they pose, the risk of injuries and the added emergency service calls that officers respond to.

A coordinated enforcement operation on July 4, which RCPD said utilized the newly formed drone team to spot the source of illegal fireworks, resulted in:

• Two arrests, which police said involved “serious mortar style fireworks”
• Approximately 65 warnings, often to groups of people
• 597 illegal fireworks seized
• One firearm seized during an arrest investigation
• One fire ignited by fireworks extinguished by the Redwood City Fire Department

“Illegal fireworks put entire neighborhoods at risk,” Police Chief Kristina Bell said. “We appreciate the community members who reported violations and helped us intervene before more serious incidents occurred.”