With summer and the July 4th holiday right around the corner, the Syracuse Police Department is looking to tackle an uptick in summer crimes like illegal fireworks displays and ATVs. Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile said the police department has worked to shrink the period when illegal fireworks are set off.
“But we've shrunk the window for when people decide to celebrate July 4th,” Cecile said. “It used to start whenever the first warm day was and go right on into the fall, right past July 4th, right into the fall, We've shrunk that window substantially to as much as I think as little as a week where folks are deciding to start setting up maybe a few days before July 4th.”
SPD’s fireworks detail has already started to work proactively, identifying chronic streets and locations of illegal fireworks displays. He said since starting the detail fireworks complaints have gone down from 918 in 2020 to 53 in 2022.
Cecile said the warm weather also brings increased, illegal A-T-V traffic to city streets.
“This isn't just a quality of life issue, it's a public safety issue,” Cecile said
He said the illegal vehicles have resulted in increased traffic issues and pedestrian injuries.
“They've struck people, because they drive around, racing through streets, going through traffic lights, driving up on sidewalks, through backyards, through front yards with no regard for anyone else, including children over there,” Cecile said.
The SPD details will start to utilize drones to help identify and apprehend illegal fireworks and ATVs throughout the city.
