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Fewer complaints about illegal fireworks in Elgin

Complaints about illegal fireworks in Elgin over the holiday weekend dropped more than 25% from last year, police say.

Elgin police received 272 calls for service regarding fireworks July 1- 4, down from 373 last year. They issued 19 citations in the same period, up from 13 last year.

The city has put greater emphasis in the past few years on curbing illegal fireworks after complaints spiked in 2020.

Last month, the city council amended the penalty scale of its fireworks ordinance to raise the fines for repeat offenders, upping the maximum penalty from $750 to as high as $1,500 for a third offense within a year. Elgin also mandated that anyone who receives a citation must appear in the city's administrative adjudication "court."

As in previous years, police held a series of "walk and talks" in areas that traditionally see a high volume of fireworks complaints. They also released a barrage of social media posts and videos reminding people that fireworks are dangerous and prohibited in the city. In addition, they sent letters to previous offenders reminding them of the consequences of getting caught.

"It seems to be working," said Sgt. Mike Martino, the department's public information officer. "We understand fireworks are an issue for the city and the community. We want to try to keep people safe and we're going to continue to be proactive on every aspect."

Fire Chief Robb Cagann said there were no known fireworks-related injuries that required ambulance service this year.

The 272 fireworks calls accounted for 26% of the 1061 incidents the police department responded to July 1-4.

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