All seven Phoenix police precincts had officer teams assigned to crack down on illegal fireworks over the July Fourth weekend this year.
Now, the city’s fireworks safety task force is gearing up for New Year’s.
Phoenix formed the task force this year after a big rise in complaints. And the fire department has seen a nearly 50% reduction in fireworks-related calls from recent years.
City records say fire prevention staff did hundreds of vendor inspections for Independence Day. Neighborhoods with high call-volumes related to fireworks received officer visits ahead of time.
For New Year’s, Phoenix officials say fireworks enforcement will also focus on air quality. Last Jan. 1, West Phoenix reportedly had the worst 24-hour-fine-particulate concentration in the country.
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