As the summer fireworks season begins, Aurora still is seeking more enforcement against people setting off fireworks in their neighborhoods.
Officials said this week they are trying to get more people to lodge complaints through the city’s website, a way for the city to handle more complaints than going through the Aurora Police Department.
“We’re hopeful we can continue to push out reporting through the website,” said Alex Voigt, deputy chief of staff in the mayor’s office. “It’s a very challenging quality of life issue.”
After the 2021 Fourth of July holiday, Mayor Richard Irvin and aldermen fielded so many complaints about fireworks in neighborhoods that they decided to change the city’s ordinance to get more enforcement. That change was adopted in October 2021.
Part of that change was to make it possible for people to report incidents online. By doing that, other city officials, not just police, can look into them.
It puts more people in the enforcement process – there are only so many police to respond to calls – and it means city officials can investigate after the fact. If the police are called, they have to come out and catch someone in the act of shooting off fireworks.
If someone sees fireworks lit, and can get a photo or pinpoint where they came from, that person can swear out a complaint through the city’s website portal, or by calling the customer service center.
The service center’s phone number is 630-256-4636, and the report can be submitted during or after the offense. Residents also can report illegal fireworks through the city’s website at www.aurora-il.org/ReportFireworks.
The new system has had some effect. In 2020, there were 643 calls for illegal fireworks, and in 2023, that went down to 283. But Voigt said only 27 reports were made online – 256 of the calls still went through 911 to the police.
In 2022, there were seven illegal fireworks cases that went to the city’s court and resulted in fines. In 2023, only one fine was issued.
“I’m surprised at the number of calls, because we know the complaints we get,” said Ald. Carl Franco, 5th Ward. “We know more people were shooting off fireworks.”
Still, Ald. John Laesch, at large, said “the numbers show we are progressing.”
People can upload photos taken, or even video, such as something from a Ring doorbell, to the city site. Voigt said the city does not need photos to investigate.
“But it helps,” she said. “It is an evidentiary hearing. We need proof.”
slord@tribpub.com
