Santa Barbara sees spike in police activity over holiday weekend

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Santa Barbara Police Department says they saw an increase in crimes over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

The police department combined communications center received a 45% increase in calls for service in comparison to the five-year average for the Fourth of July.

The department says 51 police reports were documented over the two-day period.

Local police responded to 475 calls from July 4 to July 5.

60 of those calls were from residents worried about their neighbors launching high-powered fireworks. A total of 158 calls were fireworks related.

For the past five years, the fireworks-related calls were around 40 calls.

There were 20 calls reporting loud house parties where party-goers were not adhering to public health orders.

Police say the City also saw a rise in violent and serious felonies during the weekend with 11 felonies total.

Four of these felonies involved an assault with a deadly weapon.

Police also responded to a hit-and-run with injuries in downtown Santa Barbara along with three grand theft investigations.