City of Simi Valley
Staff Report
August 24, 2026
To: City Council
From: Police Department
Charles Steven Shorts, Chief of Police
Subject: Approve response to the Ventura County Grand Jury 2025- 2026 Countywide Response to Public Complaints About Fireworks report
Staff Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Approve the response form to the Ventura County Grand Jury Countywide Response to Public Complaints About Fireworks report dated June 25, 2026;
2. Authorize the Mayor to sign the r esponse form regarding the Ventura County Grand Jury Countywide Response to Public Complaints About Fireworks report dated June 25, 2026.
Background
The Ventura County Grand Jury issued a Countywide Response to Public Complaints About Fireworks report on June 25, 2026 (Attachment A) . Penal Code Section 933 requires public agencies’ governing bodies to respond to the report’s findings and recommendations pertaining to the City’s jurisdiction within 90 days of receipt, which will be on September 23, 2026. It is recommended that the City Council approve the response to the Grand Jury report and authorize the Mayor to sign the response form.
Discussion
On June 23, 2026, the Ventura County Civil Grand Jury delivered a report on Countywide Response to Public Complaints About Fireworks in Ventura County. The City of Simi Valley is required to respond to the Grand Jury's conclusions and recommendations.
Those conclusions and recommendations are listed in the Response to Grand Jury Report form (Attachment B).
On page 12, Figure 7 of the Grand Jury Report, the Simi Valley Police Department is identified as not having provided data regarding the number of drones in its 2026 inventory, their capabilities, or the expected number of drones in 2027.
The Police Department would like to clarify that, as of 2026, its drone fleet consists of 10 drones, all of which are equipped with GPS capability. Of the 10 drones, seven are
Agenda Item No.
Consent (2)
equipped with thermal -imaging capability. Currently, the Police Department has no pending requests or plans to add additional drones to its inventory in 2027.
Financial Impact
There is no financial impact to the City associated with the City’s required response to the findings and recommendations of the Civil Grand Jury report.
City Council Priority
This item supports the City Council’s Public Safety Pillar of Excellence as outlined in the City Council priorities.
Suggested Motion
I move to that City Council:
1) Approve the response form to the Ventura County Grand Jury Countywide Response to Public Complaints About Fireworks report dated June 25, 2026;
2) Authorize the Mayor to sign the response form regarding the Ventura County Grand Jury Countywide Response to Public Complaints About Fireworks report dated June 25, 2026.
Summary
Staff has prepared a response to the Ventura County Grand Jury r eport Countywide Response to Public Complaints About Fireworks in Ventura County dated June 25, 2026.
It is recommended that the City Council approve the response and authorize the Mayor to sign the Grand Jury response form in response to the aforementioned report.
Prepared by: Charles Steven Shorts, Chief of Police
Attachments
Attachment A – Countywide Response to Public Complaints About Fireworks in Ventura County Report
Attachment B – Grand Jury Response Form
2 ----..........COUNTY 1VENTURA
Confidential
June 23, 2026
Civil Grand Jury
City of Simi Valley City Council
Re: Countywide Response to Public Complaints About Fireworks Report Date: June 25, 2026
Dear City of Simi Valley City Council:
Enclosed, please find a copy of the above report by the 2025-2026 Ventura County Civil Grand Jury. Attached are excerpts from the California Penal Code Sections 933 and 933.05. Please note that subdivision (f) of Penal Code section 933.05 specifically prohibits any disclosure of the contents of a grand jury report by a public agency or its officers or governing body prior to its release to the public, which will occur two days after the date of this letter.
California Penal Code Section 933.05 requires that you respond to the Findings and Recommendations contained in the report. Penal Code 933.05 mandates the content and format of responses. Penal Code section 933 mandates the deadline for the responses. Please review the section of the report titled "RESPONSES" for the specific Findings and Recommendations to which you are required to respond.
You are required to submit your response within 90 days as follows:
Hard copy to: The Honorable Matthew P. Guasco, Presiding Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Ventura, 800 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93003.
Please also send a written copy of your responses to: Ventura County Grand Jury, 800 S.
Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009. Responses are public records. Your entity must maintain a copy of your response.
Should you have any questions, please contact me at [email protected] or at the above address.
Sincerely,
v� Y e,l,Un,,
Douglas Yellin
Foreperson, 2025-2026 Ventura County Civil Grand Jury
Attachment A
800 South Victoria Avenue
Ventura, CA 93009
Tel (805) 477-1600
Fax (805) 658-4523
grandjury.countyofventura.org
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5 6
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9 10
11 12
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25 26
27 c0ulril UENIURA
Civil Grond Jury
8OO South Victorio Avenue
Venturo, CA 93009
Tel (805) 477-1600
Fox (805) 6584523
g ro nd i u ry.cou nlyofventu ro.org
Response to 2025-2026 Ventura Gounty Givil Grand Jury Report Form (Please See Galifornia PenalGode Section 933.05)
Report Title: Countywide Response to Public Complaints About Fireworks Responding Entity: City of Simi Valley City Council
FINDINGS
. I (we) agree with the Findings numbered
I (we) disagree wholly or partially with the Findings numbereda (Attach a statement specifying any portions of the Findings that are disputed; include an explanation of the reasons.)
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations numbered
implemented.
(Attach a summary describing the implemented actions.)
a Recommendations numbered have not yet been
implemented but will be implemented in the future.
(Attach a summary indicating the timeframe for implementation.) o Recommendationsnumbered require further analysis
(Attach an explanation to include: scope and parameters of the analysis or study and timeframe for the mafter to be prepared for discussion with the agency or department head. The timeframe shall not exceed six months from the date of publication of the report.)
a Recommendations numbered will not be
implemented because they are not warranted or are not reasonable (Attach an explanation.)
Date Signed
Title:
a have been
Number of pages attached:
F-01, F-02, F-04, F-05, F-06, F-07, F-08, F-12,
R-04
F-03 & R-02
R-04
R-02
1 Attachment B
28 Responses
Finding F-03 : The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury finds that despite numerous and varied efforts by law enforcement, the fire department, and the district attorney to educate the public, the number of complaints has not decreased.
Response to F-03: The City of Simi Valley does not agree with the Grand Jury’s finding in F-03. The data contained in the Grand Jury’s report indicates a significant decline in fireworks-related complaints for Simi Valley from 2023 to 2025.
Recommendation R-02: The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury recommends that Ojai, Moorpark, Camarillo, Simi Valley, and Thousand Oaks develop their own fireworks host liability ordinances. (F12)
Response to R-02: The City of Simi Valley does not agree with the Grand Jury’s Recommendation R-02. The City Council previously considered an ordinance that would have added a new Chapter 45 to Title 5 of the Simi Valley Municipal Code relating to the sale and use of fireworks. The proposed ordinance included a “Social Host Liability” provision that would have expanded civil liability to the property owner, tenant, or person hosting a gathering where fireworks were used and subjected the responsible party to a civil fine.
The proposed ordinance was presented to the City Council on April 25, 2022. At that meeting, the City Council declined to introduce the ordinance and, therefore, did not adopt the proposed Social Host Liability provisions. Instead, the City Council determined that it was in the best interest of the community for the Police Department to continue focusing its enforcement efforts on violations involving dangerous fireworks and to utilize existing criminal citations as the primary enforcement mechanism. The City Council did not believe that creating an additional layer of civil penalties directed at social hosts was necessary to address the illegal use of fireworks.
Recommendation R-04: The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury recommends that the Ventura County Fire Department interface regularly with the Ventura County Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee to inform the committee about recommendations from CAL FIRE’s Fireworks Enforcement Task Force, (F-01, F-02, F-03, F-04, F-05, F- 06)
Response to R-04: The Ventura County Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee will begin coordinating with the Ventura County Fire Department to discuss and develop strategies for addressing the recommendations of CAL FIRE’s Fireworks Enforcement Task Force. The proposed timeline will include coordination meetings, the development of recommended actions, and implementation efforts within six months of the publication of the Grand Jury Report.
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