Shaker Heights Officials Voice Displeasure With Fireworks Fights

City officials said Monday they were disappointed by the behavior of a select group of juveniles and adults at the Shaker Heights 4th of July fireworks celebration.

Police that night for partaking in multiple fights as residents watched fireworks. Mayor Earl Leiken said he and city council would discuss the aftermath of the event plenty of times before the 2013 celebration. He voiced his displeasure about the situation following the special city council meeting Monday.

"We're going to do a thorough investigation into the situation and make some decisions," he said. "We're still gathering information. We are very concerned about a number of these incidents."

He said the city is thinking of ways to prevent fights in the future. Leiken said the city would develop a better fireworks celebration safety plan by the end of the year.

Leiken acknowledges that some residents are calling for a way to offer the event to only residents, but believes that would be a difficult feat. Police Chief D. Scott Lee said none of the alleged offenders are residents of the city.

"I think that's it's a shame when people come into your community and really create havoc," Councilwoman Lynn Ruffner said. "The residents of Shaker Heights, unfortunately in many of these situations, are going to end up being the ones that have to suffer."

Leiken said a restricted event would pose difficulties since the attraction takes place in open air.

"It's pretty tough (to restrict the celebration) because it's a public event," Leiken said. "That would be very difficult to do at an outdoors event. We don't' have a stadium to put it in."