While the skies over San Joaquin County may have been full of illegal aerial fireworks over the long Fourth of July weekend, it would have been a lot worse had the San Joaquin County Illegal Fireworks Task Force not been as productive as it was.
That was the takeaway from a press conference this week that announced that nearly five tons of illegal fireworks were taken off the street – including commercial grade pyrotechnics and “destructive devices” – in advance of the holiday weekend.
According to the task force, 9,962.5 pounds of illegal fireworks were confiscated including 380 commercial-grade fireworks and 540 destructive devices.
The team also recovered 9 illegal firearms – including a fully-automatic AR-15-style pistol that had no serial numbers, and a short-barreled AR-15-style rifle that was also missing the serial numbers – and the team enacted 17 arrests and forwarded 16 cases on to the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office for review.
The press conference also addressed the raid that occurred last month in Ripon that generated significant media attention after the homeowners claimed that they were mistreated, had been unfairly targeted, and that the fireworks that were recovered were simply legal fireworks that were destined for a neighborhood celebration.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office released a YouTube video that shows evidence that was collected prior to the raid that appears to show that illegal fireworks were being marketed via social media. The video also showed a shipment of fireworks that were delivered to the address from North Dakota in advance of the legal window.
The video also shows deputies using beanbag rounds on a large brown dog that was charging them when they were securing the house, and it shows the professional way that deputies conducted themselves when interacting with people that were in the home at the time of the raid.
Between two locations in that case officers recovered more than 447 pounds of illegal fireworks as well as three “destructive devices.”
The task force represents the work done by the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office who worked together to identify those responsible for the sale of illegal fireworks and go after them before the busy holiday season.
“Illegal fireworks are a pervasive issue in our community,” San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar said during a press conference this week. “That is evident by the fact that three times the amount – three times the amount – were seized this year over last year. It is illegal to use, sell, or transport fireworks that do not carry the safe and sane seal or to possess or use any fireworks in communities where they are not permitted.
“Every year illegal fireworks cause additional harm to our community in the form of injuries, property damage, fires, and more. The sales of these illegal fireworks can also create a devastating impact in connection with illegal firearms and drugs. We implore the community to cease purchasing and using illegal fireworks for celebrations and holidays.”
To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.