This Weekend: No Shootin' Off Guns. No Drinking and Driving. No Fireworks.

By Kimberly Thorpe Thu., Jul. 2 2009 at 12:15 PM

Categories: Crime

For the Fourth of July weekend, the Dallas Police Department is partnering with Dallas Fire-Rescue -- they're going to ride in patrol cars together -- to strictly enforce the no-no's listed above, especially the part about shooting stuff into the air. It's the first time the two departments have gone to such lengths to keep the skies from raining fire and brimstone (and bullets) on the Fourth.

"We're going to have a no-tolerance for it," said Dallas Fire Rescue's spokesperson, Lt. Rebecca Mathews, at a news conference this morning.

Not even sparklers are allowed within 5,000 feet of the Dallas city limits. "Even though they're cute, they are a big concern," said Mathews. "A sparkler burns at 1,200 degrees." Authorities said there's no talk about ever lifting the ban on fireworks in Dallas, because the hot little numbers are just too damned dangerous, so sorry. Instead the city invites you to the free firework show at Fair Park.

And, while boozing and cruising is never lawful, this weekend will be another No Refusal weekend. That means that DPD will be collecting blood specimens from suspected drunk drivers at the jail, even if they refuse.

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"OC says: WELL IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE RESPONSE TIME FROM DPD YOU CAN ALWAYS MOVE!!!" Or we could, you know, insist that these idiots do the job our tax dollars are paying for. i know, what a novel concept. Now cue the cries of "we don't get paid enough blah blah blah...". Guess what? Nobodys forcing you to take the job, don't like the pay, go do something else.
Ahh yes, i thought of this post while listening to the fireworks going off in my neighborhood last night. And i'm sure i'll think of it while listening again tonight. Great job as always DPD, great job!
Sparklers? Come on! There are bottle rockets landing on roofs in some neighborhoods, but they're going after backyard BBQs with sparklers? DPD. TABC. The line fades...
WELL IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE RESPONSE TIME FROM DPD YOU CAN ALWAYS MOVE!!!
I'm waiting for Addison to launch fireworks over the Dallas border. The secret to getting a response out of Dallas PD for a noise complaint - loud party or whatever - To 911: "Uh... I think it's a bachelorette party. I don�t know what�s going on in there, but these girls are really out of control!" Officer Steve will arrive within 5 minutes.
Sheeet.......like they are really going to stop anything. This is purely a publicity stunt to try to fool us that our tax dollars are being well spent. The last time I called the cops for a noise complaint they didn't even bother to show up.......Seriously, no call, nothing....just didn't show up.
Riiiiiiight. The only thing Dallas police are good for is bringing in revenue with asinine traffic tickets. They won't do shit.
It's called extraterritorial jurisdiction. Also, Sheriff Buford T. Justice taught me that Texas lawmen can enforce the laws no matter where they are...
Exactly how can Dallas have a ban that covers an area of 5000 feet outside of their boundaries???
@ cynical old bastard: It's the weirdest thing. They found sand in the ground near he Trinity. No more fireworks until a 12-year $374 million study can be funded (via taxpayer initiative) then abandoned in favor the ongoing struggle to name something after Caesar Chavez.
@cp & ll Join us for the Lakewood firework show. Lots of fun for the entire family. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe3kpuIggvs
In NW Dallas, we call this "Tuesday."
So I guess they will mainly be in my area in East Dallas. It won't be any different than your average weekend in the area though. What's a quinceanera without a little bit of shootin' guns in the air?
And after the paddy wagon is full in cp's neighborhood, they can drive on over to mine. I am still waiting for the police to respond to my illegal fireworks call from 29 years ago (and every year since). Their response time for these calls is abysmal. Sounds like WWIII for a couple of days before and a couple days after the 4th. I don't care about a little fun but when they leave the debris about a foot deep in the street, I get irritated. And, Fire Hazard or the fact the bullets come down as fast as they go up -- doesn't penetrate into the pea brains setting them off.
What ever happened to the fireworks show over the Trinity?
Good. They need to come to my neighborhood and set up. Plenty of guns going off, they could bring the paddy wagon too.
Thanks for throwin' that steamer in the punchbowl. Preciatcha' pal. Kimberly, you need a weekly feature piece. We'll call it Buzzkill.