Police on Fireworks: You Use, You Lose

Bolingbrook Police Department officials said they are expecting an increased number of fireworks complaints leading up to the Fourth of July weekend and plan to issue citations for those that don’t heed the law.

Bolingbrook Lieutenant Mike Rompa said police will respond to any calls or complaints of fireworks being used, but fines for the offense are issued depending on circumstance.

“Normally, someone (would be) issued a warning and the fireworks are taken,” Rompa said. “But if police are called back for a second complaint, then a citation will be issued.”

Possession of fireworks is a $50 fine under Bolingbrook local ordinance.

Rompa said if you can purchase the fireworks from a major retail establishment, they’re most likely legal.

Meanwhile, many local police departments are bracing for one of the year’s most dangerous weekends in terms of drunk driving.

Bolingbrook police don’t have any specific DUI enforcement details, but due to the holidays, the department is always proactive toward preventing drunk driving to ensure community safety, Rompa said.

Past July 4th Driving Statistics, Safety Tips

During last year's Fourth of July weekend, 10 people died in traffic fatalities – seven of those involved a drunken driver – and 780 were injured in crashes in Illinois, according to a Illinois State Police release.

The Illinois State Police offers the following tips to avoid drunken driving and traffic accidents this Fourth of July:

• Plan ahead. Designate a sober driver before going out and give that person your keys;
• If you are impaired, call a taxi, use mass transit or call a sober friend or family member to get you home safely;
• Promptly report impaired drivers you see on the roadways to law enforcement by pulling over and dialing 911;
• Make sure everyone in your vehicle wears his or her safety belt. It is your best defense against an impaired driver.