St. Joseph police emphasize safety ahead of Fourth of July holiday

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- The Fourth of July is a time for celebration, fireworks and gathering with loved ones, but safety should remain the top priority.

The St. Joseph Police Department's biggest concerns during the holiday are impaired drivers, the improper use of fireworks and large crowds at celebrations.

"Every year, we see injuries from fireworks or domestics that could be prevented. We see fires from certain fireworks or mishandling. We see crashes from DWI. All of that can be prevented with safe choices,” Sgt. Stephanie Insell said.

The department will be doing extra patrols in certain areas.

"Especially if we know there are places like this year, it’s at the North Shoppes; there will be the city’s fireworks display out there. We’ll have officers paying attention to that area," Insell said. "If we know there are other places that are going to have big gatherings, we’ll do extra patrols driving through those areas and keeping eyes on where we know large groups of people would be."

Under Section 16-32 of the Code of Ordinances, fireworks with a report or that discharge projectiles are prohibited within city limits. This means aerial devices, bottle rockets, and Roman candles are strictly illegal within city limits.

Within St. Joseph city limits, legal consumer fireworks include sparklers, colored torches, colored fire cones and boxes, nonpoisonous snakes, colored smoke devices without reports, fountains, pinwheels, spinner wheels, snappers, toy cap gun caps and confetti poppers.

Insell said laws are only part of the equation when it comes to firework safety.

"Whether it’s legal or not legal, we just want everyone to be safe. We want everyone to be responsible. Whatever you're using, just be responsible with it," Insell said.

Using fireworks illegally or recklessly can lead to several consequences.

"From city citations, criminal charges depending on what happened, but it could also lead to injuries, injuries to another person and property damage," Insell said.

Residents should immediately report to authorities any fireworks activity that could endanger people or damage property.

"If there are other problems or disturbances or something that don’t have to necessarily be taken care of right this second, call our non-emergency number," Insell said. "We will prioritize what is an immediate danger versus not an immediate danger. Those are the calls we will go to first."

Insell urged anyone under the influence not to drive.

"Call for a ride, don’t drink and drive, and don’t drive under the influence. If you can’t call for a ride, wait it out, stay where you're at until you're sober enough to drive," she said. The last thing we want is people getting hurt on the road because you thought you were okay to drive.  

Community members attending a fireworks show are encouraged to be patient and allow extra time for traffic and large crowds.

"Take your time, keep track of kids and pay attention to where they are. Leave the fireworks to the professionals, let them do it, they have a show for a reason," Insell said.

The department said its goal is not to ruin anyone's holiday but to ensure everyone celebrates safely and responsibly.