Dear Editor,
The Fourth of July fireworks comes once a year, unless you live
in our neighborhood. Saturday night when all was calm one of ours
neighbors decided it was time to enlighten our lives with a display
of illegal fireworks.
Dear Editor,
The Fourth of July fireworks comes once a year, unless you live in our neighborhood. Saturday night when all was calm one of ours neighbors decided it was time to enlighten our lives with a display of illegal fireworks. It started innocently with a few firecrackers, a couple of colorful bottle rockets but, the grand finale was an explosion that should have been heard by our local police department. The shock of the explosion vibrated through our house and started the neighborhood dogs barking, as a cloud of gray smoke filtered throughout the neighborhood.
I wasted no time. I immediately dialed 911 to report an illegal display of fireworks and what sounded and felt like a bombing going off close to our fence line. The 911 dispatcher indicated they had already received calls on this situation and that a patrol car had been dispatched. Since my phone number, name and address was displayed on his computer monitor, I assumed he was referring to my neighborhood. While waiting for an officer to arrive, I spoke with a few neighbors that came out into the street to investigate the loud explosion. We waited, and waited and waited, nothing. No one came out to investigate not even a follow up phone call from the city police.
What a joke! Why have an ordinance that cites people for possession of illegal fireworks if complaints are not investigated. What if an actual bomb had gone off within the city limits of Gilroy, would it be ignored?
I look at this ordinance, like many other ordinances that have been passed by our city or county officials. They help ease the public concerns and make us feel safer.
Hey, city council how about if you earn your pay and put some meat into this ordinance, otherwise get a pencil and erase it from the books along with all the other ordinances that are not enforced.
Next time I dial 911, or the Gilroy police it would be nice if my concern would be taken seriously, along with a follow up call.
Alan L. Johnson, Gilroy
