Fireworks Frustration

July 5, 2004

Dear Bill:

We are trying to work with the Police department on an ever growing problem in Glassell Park (Northeast Division) concerning an out of control use of illegal, dangerous fireworks.

Myself and my neighbor worked with the GPNC and Tony Scudaleri to distribute about 800 flyers to the neighborhoods down here and try to get the word out. We cooperated with our SLO until he got transferred and then our new officer seemed to disappear. So we took it upon ourselves as caring citizens to try and fight this scourge ourselves by putting up flyers all over the place. It seemed to work at first but as soon as the big stuff started going into the sky and the miscreants down at the bottom of the hill saw that it wasn't stopping they joined in.

We have called repeatedly (as Captain Smith said we should) and we have been met with indifference and downright obstinacy. The hard-boiled police officer on the desk on Friday night told my neighbor that they were NOT going to do anything about the probem then and they would NEVER do anything about the problem. We have exact addresses of the places that do it night after night but can't get anyone at Northeast to take this seriously. We no longer seem to have a lead officer and they seem to have run up the white flag on this problem.

I saw a program on the news where El Monte has an officer assigned this duty and he drives around and gives out citations to the wise guys who terrorize the neighborhood with these huge skyrockets that make animals frenzied, wake children out of their sleep and disturb and anger those of us who work for a living.

People do this crap for hours on end and never seem to be checked on by LAPD. Is it impossible to ask that they send a car over to talk to these folks and try to get a handle on at least one known hotspot. As we have driven around we have noticed lots of gang activity in the fireworks launching spot. We see an obvious Avenues member on a small bicycle making deliveries of some sort. He's not a little kid, is tatooed, earrings and carrying some kind of contraband.

I'm not some nutcase and I spoke at the GPNC meeting you attended with Captain Smith and the Fire Captain. I realize there is little that can be done on the 4th and even on the previous Friday but this has been going on now for weeks with hundreds of explosions each and every night from sundwon to past midnight.

These fireworks are getting worse and worse and are all anyone talks about up here. We would like our lives back. Do you have any suggestions? I will write or call any city council people who can help or the City Attorney.

We are desperate.

Thanks,

Glen Creason
Glassell Park