New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his plan to crack down on the use of illegal fireworks the morning after protesters demonstrated against the lawlessness outside his home.
De Blasio ordered the city’s police and fire departments to launch a “huge sting operation” to locate and arrest people responsible for selling illegal fireworks after weeks of explosive noises disrupt the sleep of exhausted New Yorkers.
“We’re going to start a huge sting operation to go and get these illegal fireworks at the base, meaning everywhere they’re being sold around New York City and even where they are being sold in surrounding states that we know are flowing into New York City,” he said.
“The sheriff’s office, the FDNY, the NYPD have come together in an illegal fireworks task force. We will have over 40 officers from each of those three organizations, including 12 FDNY fire marshals. The NYPD intelligence bureau will be a part of this effort to help us track down where the fireworks are coming from to begin with. Deputy sheriffs will be out there addressing this at the root,” he added.
De Blasio said that he has heard complaints from “all five boroughs” of New York City and said the fire department would be working to educate young people about the dangers of fireworks. The decision came less than 24 hours after protesters stood outside the mayor’s mansion chanting, “If we can’t sleep, you won’t sleep.”
New Yorkers gathered at Mayor Bill de Blasio’s residence on Monday night chanting “If we can’t sleep, you won’t sleep.”
It comes as the city saw more than 800 complaints about fireworks filed this month. A huge increase from last year’s number of just 21 complaints in June pic.twitter.com/IKbmw80hu0
— Bloomberg QuickTake (@QuickTake) June 23, 2020
Some felt that de Blasio failed to read the room by announcing a massive effort to lock up those using illegal fireworks after weeks of protests in the city over police brutality and racial injustice following the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died after a Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck during an arrest. Many condemned the decision on Twitter.
The same police force that enforces illegal cigarette sales on the street?
What could go wrong? https://t.co/jHnmdp5YMp
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) June 23, 2020
So basically they’re going to treat fireworks the way they’ve treated the “war on drugs.” Yeah, because that worked out so well, over the past few decades. Dear God, De Blasio just keeps getting worse. https://t.co/qhZkmHROgD
— N. K. Jemisin (@nkjemisin) June 23, 2020
In other fireworks news, the mayor also announced that Macy’s would continue its annual fireworks display on July 4 with some changes because of the coronavirus. Rather than having one central display, the city will have several small displays to prevent large groups from flowing into one part of the city. The finale will air on television.
