Obeying Fireworks Laws
|  Video
|
| Retha Colclasure |
| 7/3/2009 |
.jpg) |
| Every year, the 4th of July brings with it the promise of fun and fireworks. And every year, it also brings a lot of extra work for police officers. They`re legal in some places, but against the law in others. "It`s illegal to possess, sell, manufacture, use, display, any of those things," says Sgt. Dwight Offerman, of the Bismarck Police Department. "So if you have fireworks and you`re in Bismarck, chances are you`re violating the ordinance." It`s a Bismarck city ordinance that gets broken more than 80 times a year on average for the two weeks surrounding the holiday. Still, police officers say, things could be worse. "The percentage of compliance to the fireworks ordinance is probably the highest of any of our ordinances," says Sgt. Offerman. "So we`re having a small percentage of people using fireworks." Fireworks are legal during certain time periods in Mandan, but police there still have their hands full with calls. "After hours, 2 a.m. to 3:00 in the morning, people are trying to sleep and there`s someone out there deciding they want to shoot some fireworks off," says Sheriff Dave Shipman. "Hopefully we`ll see more compliance and fewer complaints like that." He says Mandan officers are already seeing a drop in the number of complaints, because this year, instead of getting a warning, violators are getting a fine. "The face that you can be assessed a fine of $75 is a deterrent," says Chief Dennis Bullinger, of the Mandan Police Department. This year also marks the last year that bottle rockets can be sold in the state. Officers say they hope that law will change the violations they see, as well. "Bottle rockets have always been a concern for us and the medical people because of the injuries and the damage it can cause," Shipman says. Bottle rockets are already against the law in some cities, so check your local ordinance before you set them, or any other firework, off. Officers say most of the people who break fireworks laws are teenagers. It`s important for parents to make sure their kids know what the law is. |
© 2009 KMOT-TV
Home | News | Weather | Sports | Webcast | Morning News | Programming | Primetime Rewind | Advertising & Sales | About Us
Community Connection | Movies | Contests & Promotions | Search | Links | Contact Us | Site Map | Follow us on: Facebook
Sister Stations: KFYR TV in Bismarck, KUMV in Williston, KQCD in Dickinson
