ST. LOUIS — Police arrested 60 people, including 45 juveniles, during Fourth of July celebrations downtown, citing parents for their children’s behavior for the first time.
The arrests occurred between 6 p.m. on July 4 and 3:30 a.m. on July 5, with police noting a rise in ‘fireworks wars’ promoted on social media. Eight of the arrests involved firearms, while others were charged with resisting arrest, discharging fireworks, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Chief Robert Tracy of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department expressed concern over parental supervision, stating, “We had one parent that came down. Took the summons. Grabbed their child and drove them back here and dropped them off. Let them go out with fireworks, and then we re-arrested them again.”
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Visitor Deanna Fragala from Northern Virginia supported the new approach, saying, “If you don’t know where your child is and they’re 12, 13, 14 years old. Then it’s a serious problem for a parent. We’re solely responsible for our underage children.”…