Full Notification

Oakland, CA – The Oakland Police Department and Fire Department are working together to plan for a safe 4th of July in the City of Oakland.

Oakland’s Police Chief Sean Whent and Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed want you to celebrate Independence Day safely and would like to remind everyone of the dangers and penalties associated with celebratory firearm discharges and the use of illegal fireworks. Setting off fireworks and shooting guns possess a great risk for injury and even death. As such, they have no place in our City.

As a part of our commitment to public safety, quality of life and vitality in our communities, OPD is focused on stopping illegal gun use. During the holiday the Department will be increasing staffing and deploying patrol officers to specific areas of the City that have the highest amount of gunshot and firework activity as indicated by ShotSpotter activation and data collection from last year. Officers will arrest anyone caught discharging a firearm. Officers will additionally be enforcing illegal fireworks and focus on prevention and education.

A joint Oakland Police Department / Oakland Fire Department Public Safety Announcement regarding holiday safety is available on the internet at https://vimeo.com/99383334 (English) and https://vimeo.com/99383335 (Spanish).

- Report celebratory gunfire by calling 911 (by cell phone, 777-3211).
- Report fireworks by calling the Fireworks Tip Line: (510) 777-8814.
A recording is set up and checked frequently. On the 4th of July, a call taker will be available.

To help get illegal fireworks off the street, the Oakland Fire Department has set up fireworks collection barrels at the following fire stations:
- Station 1: 1603 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
- Station 3: 1445 14th Street
- Station 4: 1235 East 14th Street
- Station 5: 934 34th Street
- Station 18: 1700 50th Avenue
- Station 20: 1401 98th Avenue

Celebratory Gunfire =Jail; Fireworks = Fines
Illegal fireworks, hot weather and increased fire danger also increase the risk of injuries and fatalities. People caught with fireworks can be fined up to $1,000. Penalties for possession of large quantities of fireworks include fines ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 and imprisonment.

An English, Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese language flyer with more information about illegal fireworks and where you can safely turn them in is available at: http://oaklandnet.oakland.local/oak/groups/police/documents/webcontent/oak047777.pdf.

Nixle Tip Watch allows ANONYMOUS tipsters to send OPD a tip three ways: 1. Text TIP OAKLANDPD to 888777 from your cell phone followed by your tip 2. Call our toll-free tip hotline at 855-TIPS-247 (855-847-7247) 3. Submit a tip by web form - see the option at the bottom of OPD's Nixle messages or visit http://nixle.us/tip/oakland-police-department-ca/ to complete and send.

Anonymous Tipping allows residents to proactively connect with the Oakland Police Department by submitting anonymous tips via web form and text message. Additionally, with the issuance of a tipping passcode to tipsters, we can initiate a two-way, anonymous communication to help gather more information.

For more information, please contact the Media Relations Office at 510-238-7230 or [email protected]. Visit Nixle.com to receive Oakland Police Department alerts, advisories and community messages, or follow OPD on Twitter, @oaklandpoliceca.
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