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Saint Paul Police crack down on illegal fireworks
If you're thinking about setting off your personal stash of fireworks on the 4th of July, there's something you should know. Certain neighborhoods in parts of the Twin Cities will have an extra set of eyes on them. When you celebrate the 4th of July, Saint Paul police officer Lynette Cherry may show up as a surprise guest if the celebration gets out of hand. "I'm assigned the fireworks detail. I listen on the air for any calls related to fireworks and then I proactively patrol to see if anyone is lighting them off," Officer Cherry explains. Officer Cherry is part of a police effort this year in Saint Paul to get tough on illegal fireworks. She works a special fireworks patrol. One squad car in each district is assigned to respond to fireworks calls over the holiday and seize illegal fireworks. "We have zero tolerance for any illegal fireworks," Officer Cherry says. In 2002, some fireworks were made legal in Minnesota. Sparklers, smoke bombs and trick noisemakers can all be set off legally. But if you have something that flies high into the sky or explodes, you're breaking the law. "It's a disturbance. It awakens children it disturbs people and it's illegal," Tom Walsh, Saint Paul Police Department spokesman, says. Today is day three of the fireworks detail. Officer Cherry patrols Saint Paul's eastern district. It's quiet during the day, until she gets a call. "Anonymous caller stated that people every year at this address have a fireworks display of illegal fireworks," Officer Cherry reports as she heads to an address in the Tanglewood neighborhood. "Do you guys have any fireworks here," she asks the homeowner. Officer Cherry doesn't find any illegal fireworks here, and warns the homeowner to keep it that way. "I just told her if they're legal that's fine. She can't have any illegal ones." This call was one of more than 200 fireworks complaint calls in Saint Paul in a week, but that number is down ten percent from last year. Police hope that's proof stepped up enforcement works. "You want them to enjoy the fireworks and the holiday but at the same time?We have the law for a reason," says Officer Cherry. If you're caught with less than 35 pounds of illegal fireworks, you could be fined up to $1,000. It's a misdemeanor. Regions Hospital reports treating one fireworks-related injury in the last couple of days
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