New York City set to crackdown on illegal fireworks spree

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the formation of a new task force to target suppliers

Last updated: June 24, 2020 | 13:28

AFP and Compiled by Christian Borbon, Digital Content Editor

2 MIN READ

1/12

For weeks, New York has lived up to its nickname as the city that never sleeps, but not in a good way.

2/12

In many neighborhoods, the near-constant pops and bangs of fireworks - beginning in early evening and persisting until almost dawn - provide an unwelcome soundtrack.

3/12

The purchase, sale and ignition of fireworks is illegal in New York City. And some of those being used, weeks ahead of the July 4th holiday, are professional-grade.

4/12

While the phenomenon has some theorizing that people are simply letting off steam after months of seclusion under coronavirus lockdowns, many residents are unenthused.

5/12

The city has received more than 13,300 complaints about illegal fireworks on its 911 emergency line so far in 2020 - 12,500 of them in the month of June alone, police told AFP.

6/12

In the first six months of 2019, according to police, the city fielded just 1,007 similar reports.

7/12

On Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio launched a task force to crack down on the pyrotechnics, saying law enforcement would target suppliers, including with sting operations, "to go and get these illegal fireworks at the base."

8/12

Following his announcement, many on social media voiced concern over increased policing, in the wake of weeks of protests over racism and police brutality.

9/12

De Blasio said the task force - to include 10 police officers, 12 fire marshals and 20 investigators from the city sheriff's office - were going to target "big fish," not "the kid on the corner."

10/12

"We're focused on the people that are really profiting and really distributing a lot of fireworks," the mayor said.

11/12

"In a lot of cases, you can't intervene if someone shoots off a firework and they're gone," he said. "It's not a good use of police time and energy."

12/12

New York is not alone in dealing with the trend of amateur fireworks - other cities including Boston and Chicago have reported similar waves of all-night pyrotechnics.

Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox