After itemizing the City of LB's current fireworks enforcement efforts, the four agendizers (three of whom comprise the Council's Public Safety Committee [Price, Supernaw, Austin]) write in pertinent part:
Significant work to address these violations have clearly been effective at reducing the incidence, but there remain additional methods that could continue this positive progress. Recently, a group of Third District residents conducted extensive research and developed a number of recommendations for consideration by City leadership. Among them were the possibility of implementing an administrative citation process for fireworks violations; the use of video recorded by residents to enforce fireworks violations; expanded public information campaigns to reduce incidents of violations, provide additional ways for violations to be reported through technology like texting cell phone videos, utilizing the Go Long Beach app, and using video evidence for citations and enforcement.Cities throughout the state have adopted additional, more aggressive approaches to illegal firework use, demonstrating that more can be done. Based on the impact on quality of life for our residents, the timing is ripe for Long Beach to adopt new tools based on best practices from other municipalities.
An administrative citation, being a civil citation and not punishable by jail nor appearing on a criminal record, would be established with the goal of improving quality of life by promoting and protecting the public health, safety, and welfare for residents. As an alternative to criminal prosecution, the use of an Administrative Citation could improve compliance and give the City an another method to use in seeking consistent compliance with fireworks ordinances in addition to its current tools of enforcement.
The Price-Pearce-Supernaw-Austin memo acknowledges (above) that other CA cities have been using administrative enforcement to deter fireworks scofflaws for some time.
[Scroll down for further.]
