Fireworks sound like mortars

Fireworks were exploding like mortar shells in Philadelphia during the Forth of July weekend, Police Chief Julian Greer told aldermen as a group of citizens came to City Hall to complain last week.

Residents who came before the Mayor and Board of Aldermen last Tuesday say things have gotten out of hand in recent weeks with loud fireworks, gunshots and boom boxes going on until the early morning hours.

Aldermen are in the process of drafting a fireworks ordinance as officials acknowledged the complaints have come from all over town.

“It is so loud and terrible, and it has been going on for three weeks,” said Teressa Slaughter, who lives on Martin Luther King Drive. “I know that people want to have fun and enjoy these fireworks. But it goes on late into the night, three and four o’clock in the morning. People can’t get their rest.”

In addition to the fireworks, Slaughter reported gunshots going off throughout the night. In fact, she reported the roof of her mobile home has been damaged by falling bullets.

“My home has been hit by stray bullets,” Slaughter said. “I had a repairman come out. He said there were three holes, the size of a dime, in my roof.”

Slaughter also reported that vehicles equipped with loud boom box speakers, come by late at night. She said the noise vibrates the walls of her home.

Canbi Griffin said she lives a street over from Slaughter and hears the noise all night long.

“It sounds like it is in my bedroom window,” Griffin said. “I know what you are talking about.

Several other people, including Mayor James Young, had similar complaints about the fireworks being shot off late at night.

They say when they call the police, policemen show up in a timely manner and the noise briefly ends but starts up again after the police leave.

Mayor Young, who lives in the area, said it sounded like a war zone.

“I have never been to Iraq, but it sounded like Iraq Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning until early in the morning,” Young said. “I called the police. It quieted down for about two hours and then started up again.

“When the police show up, they run. We have to find a way to get tag numbers. It is going to take the community working together to put a stop to this,” Young said.

Greer said the police will respond. “We have had a lot of calls but we have a lot of calls every year,” Greer said. “This year, it seemed like a little more than usual, due to the type of fireworks being used. Over the last year, the caliber of fireworks has gone up. They are louder.”

Greer showed aldermen a Mad Max canister shell. Another firework called  Golden Willows fits into the Mad Max, he said and It goes off like a mortar shell.

“People shoot them off in their yards,” Greer said. “If a neighbor complains under the current noise ordinance, we will come and advise we have a complaint. We don’t make you quit but ask that you take into consideration your neighbors.”

If the noise continues, the neighbor can sign an affidavit under the noise ordinance and the police can make an arrest.

“In most cases, when we got that call, when we go and talk to that person, they quit,” Greer said. “But later, it starts up again two houses down, It wasn’t one or two houses shooting them You had everybody shooting them.”

Alderman Joe Tullos said the problem was all over the city. “You are spot on about this problem,” Tullos told Slaughter.

Mayor Young said a fireworks ordinance is being drafted by the board which will limit the times, and places fireworks may be purchased and used.

“We will have some perimeters in place where the ordinance will have some teeth in it,” Young said. “Maybe not jail time but a fine.

“We want to get our community back to some peaceful living. Everyone deserves to be able to rest in their homes at night.”

Alderman-at-Large Leroy Clemons, who is working on the Fireworks Ordinance, said aldermen need to look at the noise ordinance as well.

“We can put some teeth in as well to deal with the loud music,” Clemons said.