HOLLISTER, CALIFORNIA – July 6, 2021– Independence Day weekend was a busy time for public safety with 757 calls for service or self-initiated activity.
The Hollister Police Department responded to numerous calls for service over the holiday weekend including domestic violence calls, loud party calls, illegal fireworks calls and traffic incidents.
The 757 incidents included calls to 911, calls to the non-emergency lines, traffic car stops and other self-initiated activities. 55 police reports were taken with 63 traffic citations issued and 13 arrests.
Santa Cruz Regional 911 also received 159 reports of illegal fireworks. The police department contacted 40 individuals and issued 26 administrative citations for illegal fireworks. Several of those issued citations were assisted by the police drone that logged 22 flights over the weekend. Some of the administrative citations will be mailed to the property owners who either refused to come to the door or where the perpetrator was not cooperative or identified but was within the property boundaries of the home.
Some Hollister Police Officers were patrolling for illegal fireworks in unmarked vehicles. Unfortunately, many Hollister residents were sharing descriptions of the vehicles on social media in attempts to thwart our efforts. There were reports of lookouts on street corners advising if police were in the area and many more were shooting off fireworks from their back yards and away from where they could be seen from the street. Many of the callers advised of illegal fireworks in the area but didn’t know exactly where they were coming from.
The Hollister Police Department sympathizes with our veterans who suffer with PTSD or who are otherwise affected by the constant bombardment. We also understand how terribly some of our pets are affected by the illegal fireworks. We thank our service men and women for their service to our nation and we are committed to building on our efforts for next year.
The Hollister Police Department will also offer rewards of up to $1,000 for tips that lead to arrests for those involved with the sales of illegal fireworks.
The DUI Checkpoint was postponed on Sunday night due to the number of calls for service and staffing requirements.
Anyone wishing to provide an illegal firework sales tip for a reward can call WeTip at 800-78-CRIME.
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Prepared by: E. Olson, Lieutenant
Approved by: C. Reynoso, Chief
