All Fun and Games Till You Sparkle an Eye Out

Although local Police seem unperturbed by the threat of coyotes, illegal fireworks are a subject of a completely different ilk.

"Illegal fireworks and firecrackers are extremely dangerous, " Hastings Police Chief David Bloomer said. "In the past we had local blow off a few fingers from setting off a firecracker."

Bloomer also pointed out that because it has been exceptionally dry lately, illegal pyrotechnics are more likely to start a fire than in other years.

"Someone threw a cigarette on the grass outside Village Hall a few days ago, and the ground ignited," Bloomer said.

Irvington Police are equally irked by the inundation of calls they generally receive in the week leading up to the Fourth.

"Every time we get a call we investigate it," Sergeant Mike Buck of Irvington PD said. "But it's incredibly hard to track down where they're coming from. Generally by the time police arrive in a neighborhood, the perpetrators have stopped."

Police are especially concerned about fireworks shot off in the woods because those are mostly likely to start a fire. 

"We search the woods thoroughly when we suspect fireworks have been shot off," Buck said. "The last thing we want to do is have to send in the fire department because we didn't search as thoroughly as we should have."

Because fireworks and firecrackers—not sparklers, though—are illegal in the State of New York, anyone caught buying, selling, using or transporting them is committing a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail.

"It's very unlikely anyone would face jail time for firework infractions," Lieutenant David Dosin said. "They would probably be subject to a hefty fine."

And although sparklers are not illegal, Buck suggested he didn't think they were the safest form of amusement, citing the adage, "It's all fun and games 'til someone loses an eye."

Police recommend locals attend one of the sanctioned fire shows and leave the entertainment to the pros.

"While I think shooting illegal fireworks is a poor decision on a multitude of levels, the bottom line is that it's illegal," Buck said. "If you don't agree with the law, take it up with state legislators, not the police.  We're just here to enforce it."