Police Vow to Thwart Fireworks

Except for public displays, the city of Los Angeles has long banned fireworks, but enforcement of the law has sometimes been spotty. This will not be the case this year in the harbor area, officials said Monday.

With the councilwoman from the area, the mayor’s sister Janice Hahn, pledging $2,000 from her office fund for the fireworks show at Cabrillo Beach, police and fire commanders vowed a maximum effort against private use.

Harbor Police Capt. Andrew Smith said at a news conference that he will deploy all available personnel in the Los Angeles Police Department Harbor Division to crack down on those violating the law.

Violators are subject to a $1,000 fine or six months in jail, although Smith said the policy is to give first-time youthful offenders a warning. As for commercial-quality fireworks, the bomb squad may be summoned to detonate them, he said.

Fireworks are sold in nearby Lomita, and officials expressed resentment Monday that booths are open right next to the Los Angeles city line.

In 1999, the last year for which complete figures were available, there were 69 injuries from using fireworks in Los Angeles and 188 statewide.

Smith said that fireworks use has been mounting this year well in advance of the Fourth of July, with quite a few being used to mark the recent Lakers victories. “And they have not been little bottle rockets,” he said.

A Fire Department representative, Alfred Hernandez, said that with this year’s record dryness in Los Angeles, the danger that fireworks can set off devastating brush fires is very high.

Thirty-eight cities in Los Angeles County permit the sale of fireworks, but none can be used legally in Los Angeles city limits.