Over 1,200 Complaints About Illegal Fireworks Reported Across NYC In Just 14 Days
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Fireworks in New York are illegal, but you'd never know it these days.
Complaints are way up and patience is going down.
If you've been anywhere around the city in the past few weeks you may have noticed fireworks are a booming business.
It seems the skies are lighting up even when there's nothing to celebrate.
Blast-off comes any hour, night or day, much to the disgust of the people who have to listen to them.
"It goes on until about one in the morning, up to about one in the morning," Morris Park resident Michael Buitrago said.
He says the show goes on and on and on.
"It's loud and it's consistent. It's been happening every day for the past couple weeks," he said.
The city is now getting consistent complaints from 311.
Looking at the daily numbers from the first two weeks of June, it started with seven complaints in one day and has gone up to 455 complaints in one day.
The numbers add up to a total of 1,249 complaints in just 14 days.
The police department says it's issued 22 summonses and made eight arrests.
"Lot of fireworks out there, huh?" CBS2's Dick Brennan asked Donovan Richards, chairman of the New York City Council Public Safety Committee.
"Well, I'm not only hearing, but I'm seeing them and hearing it from my bedroom window pretty much every day," Richards said.
He says while fireworks are illegal, police should not have to focus on them.
"We really don't want them dealing with this low-level stuff, so I would urge the public to follow the rules," Richards said.
And of course, it's not just New York City.
"For the last maybe two or three nights, it's been really, really terrible in the Mount Vernon Westchester area," Mount Vernon resident Bobby Hodges said.
Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard says if you want to call in a complaint, give a specific location.
"Don't just say, 'We are hearing fireworks' because with fireworks reverberating and echoing off of buildings, it's very hard to pinpoint where they are," she said.
The mayor says be warned, the city will write tickets and dish out fines.
Residents have a message for those firing away.
"It's not the Fourth of July yet, so when the Fourth of July comes, then you need to do your fireworks," Mount Vernon resident Dolores James said.
For the record, the Fourth of July is 18 days away.