What’s the problem with fireworks? It’s 2 a.m. and the fireworks are still going off. The Fourth of July was over a week ago. What can be done to stop the noise? That’s the problem.

The first response is “Well just call the police.” Will that work? I requested public documents about fireworks citations (arrest or ticket) and convictions. It covered the last five years. The response was that there are none. Zip. Nada. Later, I heard a police office quoted saying there were no citations this year, or the year before that, or before that.

At the July 2015 Public Safety Committee meeting the fireworks issue was discussed. I took away from that meeting:

1. It’s hard to find where the fireworks are being set off.

2. It’s hard to identify the illegal from the legal fireworks.

3. To cite someone the officer must basically see the person set off the firework.

4. Reportedly the prosecutor doesn’t bring such cases to court.

5. Last, confiscation of fireworks is difficult. The Pierce County Bomb Squad is required.

How does this work out in the real world? The Courier-Herald of July 29th published the police blotter, which stated that on July 19th, police found four men shooting off fireworks. The officers were called away, but later returned. As they were unable to identify the person shooting off the fireworks, they left.

I think someone has a photo of this incident.

To restate the problem: “It’s 2 a.m. and the fireworks are still going off. The Fourth of July was over a week ago. What can be done to stop the noise?”

Notice this isn’t about fun, or tradition, or fire, or safety or freedom. It’s about the weeks on both sides of the Fourth when the fireworks blow. It’s about pets running off, or scared or having to be medicated. It’s about not getting a night’s sleep. It is about the 5 percent or whatever of people that ruin it for the rest of us.

Grant Sulham

Bonney Lake