LYNN — With at least one firework-related injury and a slew of noise complaints left over from Independence Day, the Police Department is urging the public to leave fireworks to the professionals.
Between 6 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. Tuesday, Lynn Police received more than 48 calls reporting illegal fireworks, some within minutes of each other. Additionally, the Fire Department responded to a report of firework-related burns on Jenness Street Tuesday.
“We hope that people put away the amateur fireworks that are dangerous for everybody. They also disturb neighborhoods, people with PTSD, and people with pets. So we try to really leave it to the professionals,” Police Lt. Rick Connick said.
Although fireworks are illegal in the Commonwealth, possession of fireworks is not an arrestable offense. Those caught in possession of fireworks can face fines ranging from $10 to $100, along with confiscation of all fireworks in the individual’s possession.
Connick said police decide firework penalties on a case-by-case basis, but even with extra officers on duty during the holiday, he said police often need to prioritize calls and will typically just confiscate them.
“They’re a strain on our resources and they can be dangerous,” Connick said. “We really want voluntary compliance, that’s our main goal. We track the hot spots of where we know fireworks go off, we try to give information to the public to steer people towards the professional fireworks displays and away from amateur fireworks.”
Another unwanted consequence of illegal firework use can be the debris left behind afterward.
On Tuesday morning, Ward 3 City Councilor Coco Alinsug was driving around with his husband, scouring the ward for trash to pick up. When he stopped by Brickett Elementary School, he said he saw a significant heap of used fireworks left directly outside the school.
“I was teary-eyed just staring at it. It was an insult to the kids that go to school there, to the teachers that serve there,” Alinsug said. “I understand that people are having a good time. It’s Independence Day, I get it, it’s a day of celebration, but using our school property, and just leaving it there — it looked like a war zone and it really broke my heart.”
Alinsug posted photos of the fireworks on his Facebook page and warned those responsible for the mess that if they neglected to clean the area after a few hours, he would notify police. Shortly after posting to social media, the area was cleaned.
“What happened, I hope, will serve as a lesson to everybody. That’s not only people in our ward, but people in our city. You need to be responsible for your actions if you want to live in our city and enjoy our parks, our streets. To go to one of our schools and have your celebration there and not clean up, that was just below the belt,” Alinsug said.
