Joliet Chief: $26K In Fines Coming From Fireworks Violators

JOLIET, IL — Police Chief Brian Benton said Joliet's recent crackdown on illegal fireworks throughout the city should generate about $26,000 in fines from violators. Officers with the Joliet Police Department issued 52 compliance tickets related to fireworks offenses between June 25 and the Fourth of July, the chief said. Getting slapped with a compliance ticket carries a $500 fine.

Benton said the city is right for taking a hard-line stance against people shooting off fireworks in violation of city ordinance. For several days, his department made it a point to warn people on its Facebook page that officers would be on patrol, targeting residents who were lighting off illegal fireworks.

"There is a safety factor that goes along with this thing," Benton said after Wednesday night's Joliet City Council meeting. "I think (the department) was successful. I think it was necessary to show the public that we're not condoning that kind of behavior because of the safety threats that go along with illegal fireworks."

Benton said that Joliet assigned four teams of two officers to be on the lookout for illegal fireworks over the past two weeks. Officers were paired up in teams of two for good reason.

"When officers are responding, these calls can be volatile, if there's a party environment with alcohol involved," Benton said. "If the people see a marked squad car pulling up, they are typically not staying involved in a criminal act while the officers are approaching."

One Fourth of July incident involving illegal fireworks turned into a fistfight, Benton said, after two brothers at the party decided to scuffle with the police officers who responded to the call.

At 7 p.m. Joliet police arrested brothers Erik A. Munoz, 21, and Michael Munoz, 23, both of the 300 block of Ruby Street. That incident occurred in the 700 block of Summit Street, the chief said. The Munoz brothers were subsequently booked into the county jail on suspicion of aggravated battery.