Read this before buying fireworks
JOSEPH MONTES; The News Tribune
The Tacoma Police Department will begin enforcing a new ordinance Monday that carries a hefty fine of $257 for people who violate Tacoma’s fireworks ban.
Fireworks have been banned since 1992, but violations typically resulted in only a warning or lecture. This year the Tacoma City Council voted to decriminalize its fireworks ban from a misdemeanor to a civil infraction.
Citations now carry the same weight as a traffic ticket, and officers are being encouraged to write them freely.
But what will happen when they hit the streets this week as Fourth of July festivities ramp up?
The News Tribune interviewed police Capt. Mike Miller about the department’s view on the ban, how they are planning enforcement and what fireworks, if any, people will be allowed to use.
What fireworks are banned under the new ordinance?
Every firework is illegal in the city under the new ordinance.
Does that include sparklers and pop-its?
Everything.
The state and many other local municipalities have more lax policies toward fireworks. Why is Tacoma taking such a firm stance?
One reason is that we have just such a concern for safety. We don’t want to set up a situation where officers have to differentiate between one thing or another, whether it’s legal or safe: ‘How come they can do sparklers and I can’t do this?’ If we can just make it clear and establish a bright line, it streamlines protection and makes it fair because nobody can do any fireworks.
Will you give tickets to children with sparklers?
That’s one option. Another is to ticket parents. In any case, (officers) are going to take away the fireworks. We may fine them. We may give them a warning. We still want to leave (warnings) in their tool kit.
How does an officer make the decision, whether to give a warning or a fine?
Dangerousness is always a part of our discretion whether we issue a warning or take a harsher action. Sparklers are dangerous, too. They start many clothing fires. I don’t know that we are going to differentiate between a sparkler and a bottle rocket. We are telling (officers) in these cases that public safety demands we write tickets rather than give a warning or education talk.
You talked about streamlined ticket writing. With a simpler system, will people still be able to fight their tickets in court?
They can ask to contest a ticket through a court process, just like a traffic ticket.
No one’s been arrested for a fireworks violation in the past two years. Do officers feel bad about enforcing this ordinance?
I think in the past, when it was an arrest-able offense, an arrest was too strong. That’s one of the reasons we tried to take away fireworks and give warnings. It’s just a ticket. We are setting the tone and telling (officers) this is something that needs to be vigilantly enforced.
This year the Tacoma Fire Department is scrapping the fireworks hot line. You’ve said before that too much was expected of it. Can you better explain what you meant?
It created an unreasonably high expectation. People thought they were calling something equal to a 911 system and the response would be timely.
It was just a chance to register their complaint and be gotten to in whatever time they could be gotten to, based on how busy it was. Sometimes it was so busy we couldn’t get to them. It caused a lot of angry callers.
What do you say to people who love fireworks? Who want to be able to celebrate the holiday with them?
I say find a place out in the county where you know somebody and you have the permission of a property owner (to do fireworks). Other than that, I tell them the same thing we tell everyone else: We love the commercial displays done by licensed technicians. Take in one of those kinds of shows.
FIREWORKS Stats
The following are statistics from the past five years showing how many calls the Tacoma Fire Department’s fireworks hot line received, fireworks-related fires, the value of property damage from fireworks and the value of fireworks confiscated around the Fourth of July holiday.
Hot line calls
2006: 833
2005: 900
2004: 1,179
2003: 445
2002: 787
Value of property damage
2006: $63,500
2005: $60,890
2004: $11,550
2003: $71,216
2002: $8,100
Fires
2006: 30
2005: 25
2004: 42
2003: 70
2002: 35
Value of fireworks confiscated
2006: $5,000
2005: $10,000
2004: $75,000
2003: $40,000
2002: $50,000 Number to call
To report a fireworks violation in Tacoma, call the police non-emergency number, 253-798-4721.
Source: Tacoma Fire Department
