The NYPD has seized $54,000 worth of illegal fireworks in 22 arrests that also netted six illegal guns, the department said Saturday.
The seizures were the result of three separate operations in June and early July including one the NYPD called “Operation Roman Candle,” which resulted in 15 arrests and $22,000 worth of fireworks confiscated.
Officers also did a controlled buy of fireworks being sold through Craigslist, charging a Brooklyn man and seizing $15,000 worth of fireworks.
Almost half of those arrested live in Brooklyn and five of them have a record of at least 10 prior arrests — including two people with 42 and 33 prior arrests, respectively, the NYPD said.
It’s not unusual for fireworks offenders to have “significant” criminal records, John Miller, deputy commissioner of the NYPD’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism bureaus, told The Post.
“When we see fireworks, we see weed and stolen credit cards,” he said. “So what it tells us over the years is that entrepreneurs involved in other criminal activity handle this as a seasonal biz.”
The NYPD said the operations were done in conjunction with the NYC Sheriff’s Office, the FDNY Fire Marshall and the NYC Fireworks Task Force which includes multiple agencies. The sheriff’s office has also nabbed 46 people on fireworks charges since June 9, Sheriff Joe Fucito told The Post this week.
Between the NYPD, the Sheriff and FDNY, authorities have probably nabbed more than $100,000 worth of fireworks in the weeks ahead of Fourth of July, Miller said.
The work is paying dividends in drastically reduced fireworks complaints, he contended.
A whopping 11,295 calls about illegal fireworks were made to 311 in June 2020. In comparison, just 5,233 complaints were made last month.
“We think that’s because we made a very concerted effort this year to get involved early,” said Miller, noting police were spread thin by COVID-19 and protest coverage in 2020.
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