From petty offenses to a string of vandalism, police had their hands full this Fourth of July.
Based on Knox County jail booking sheets, 15 people had court appearances today following their arrests yesterday and the day before. Charges ranged from driving under the influence of alcohol and loud noise violations to battery and fighting.
Galesburg Police Chief Dave Christensen tells WGIL city police responded to about 50 calls of fireworks complaints throughout the fourth, 10 domestic disturbance calls and handled several petty complaints.
“It’s a holiday when there are a lot of people out, a lot of people off that day,” he says. “Occasionally we deal with cases where people had too much to drink. All in all, the Fourth of July this year was fairly normal. There wasn’t anything exceptional, especially at Lake Storey, that caused us a lot of grief.”
With as many as 35 officers working the holiday, Christensen describes it as a “very busy day.”
Over the weekend, police started an investigation into a rash of vandalism that left more than a dozen cars covered in spray paint in the Birdland neighborhood north of Fremont Street and east of Farnham Street.
This morning, police responded to the East Main Street McDonald’s where a window was broken overnight.
