Kids on bikes with fireworks cause stir in Redwood City

Though most of the young cyclists have been abiding by the law, Redwood City residents and business owners have raised concerns after some members of the group that popped up in the city’s downtown area in recent weeks began committing traffic violations and setting off commercial-grade fireworks that have caused property damage to nearby businesses and could cause bodily harm, officials warned.

A recent firework incident occurred during a speaking engagement by Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai at the Fox Theatre, which sits just across from Courthouse Square, forcing site Manager Ernie Schmidt to ask about 700 attendees to shelter in place while officers responded to the outside commotion.

Like all but two cities in the county, Redwood City has banned the use of all fireworks within the city including those marketed as “safe and sane” unless the display is being managed by licensed professionals with city permission. Violators of the city’s ordinance could be fined up to $1,000 and state penalties range from $500 to $50,000 and could also include imprisonment.

“This time of year can be particularly challenging with illegal fireworks. The best way to prevent an injury is to leave the fireworks to the professionals and not attempt to set them off in the first place. Even sparklers burn at temperatures that can melt metal,” Fire Chief Ray Iverson said in the release. “Especially with the dire wildfire season and drought upon us, it’s not worth the risk.”

As for the youths setting off the fireworks in Redwood City, Hale and Police Chief Dan Mulholland said their approach is to collaborate with community partners like the Redwood City Police Activities League and Redwood City Together to “keep kids out of trouble,” Hale said.

Mulholland stressed that a collaborative approach fostered through relationship building would be a more effective way to address the immediate concerns, “rather than rely solely on traditional methods of apprehension and detainment.”

“The safety of our community is of our utmost priority, and, as always, we urge all community members to abide by the law,” Mulholland said in the release. “We are here to listen and solve these issues collectively. At the same time, we will intervene when necessary to ensure the safety of our businesses, residents and visitors.”

To report the use of illegal fireworks, call the Redwood City Police Department’s nonemergency line at (650) 780-7118 at the time of the incident and provide as much detailed location and identifying information as possible.