CALL FOR ACTION
Mantello wants formation of police fireworks team
TROY, N.Y. » The Fourth of July holiday may not be until this weekend but that hasn’t stopped people from getting an early start on setting off fireworks. Yet, the constant use of fireworks at all hours has presented a problem for some residents in Troy and many other cities across the country.
The continued nightly and early morning barrage of fireworks prompted Troy City Council President Carmella Mantello to call on Troy Mayor Patrick and Police Chief Brian Owens to designate a two-person police fireworks team to respond to nightly fireworks complaints.
Mantello sent a letter to the Mayor and the Chief requesting the proposal be implemented.
“Enough is enough. I’ve seen Mayor Madden’s and other neighboring city’s call for ‘education,’ ‘please stop,’ and ‘ working on stopping the flow of fireworks,’ and it’s just not working. It’s time to dedicate our resources to stopping this huge quality of life illegal activity. Especially for neighbors with PTSD and pets,” Mantello stated.
“The police are as frustrated as all of us. I and other Council Members have reported several dozens of complaints over the last several weeks. It’s time to step up our efforts and put a stop to illegal fireworks in our City,” Mantello explained.
On June 11, the mayor’s office discouraged the use of illegal fireworks, noting their negative impact on families, veterans and pets. Mayor Madden reinforced that message in an additional statement in light of the recent uptick in fireworks.
“Widespread use of illegal fireworks continues to disrupt quality of life in communities across the Capital Region. Troy police continue to respond to complaints of fireworks usage, and I’m confident in the department’s ability to direct resources as appro
priate,” Madden stated.
Mantello’s call for action includes two police officers on this detail taking the fireworks complaints. As the proposal states, these officers could prioritize and respond to those calls immediately. Additionally, residents are asked to be as specific as possible in their calls regarding fireworks with an address or a block number, so police can respond directly.
“Just this past week our golf course was blatantly used as a platform for a display damaging our 3rd hole on Frear Park Golf Course. This is disrespectful to our neighborhoods and our city property and must end. Working together we can begin to rid the nightly fireworks,” Mantello added.
Fireworks, including firecrackers, bottle rockets, roman candles, and spinners, remain illegal across New York State. Yet, beginning in 2015 Rensselaer County and nearly 35 other counties across New York allowed the use of “sparkling devices” ( groundbased or handheld devices that produce a shower of colored sparks and or a col
ored flame, audible crackling or whistling noise and smoke).
Across the river, the recent surge in nightly firework activity calls prompted the Albany County Legislature Monday morning to reevaluate its stance on those aforementioned sparkling devices, potentially crafting legislation to repeal its sparkler law implemented in 2016.
“We have seen a tremendous increase in the use of illegal fireworks in the city of Albany. It is a problem that is plaguing not just the city of Albany but cities across the country and it is unacceptable. Unacceptable for families to have to listen to fireworks that are going off at all hours of the night, two, three, four o’clock in the morning,” Albany Mayor Kathy Shee
han commented on the fireworks issue during a press conference Monday.
“It is something that is impacting our families, it’s impacting the quality of life, it’s dangerous, it causes fires, people get injured,”
Sheehan added.
Collar City residents can report issues or concerns to the Troy Police Department’s non- emergency number at (518) 270- 4411. In an emergency, you’re asked to call 911. For more information on regulations for sparkling devices, you can also visit the New York State Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Services’ Fire Prevention and Control website.