Illegal Fireworks Task Force releases enforcement report

Maui News

KAHULUI–The Department of Law Enforcement’s (DLE) statewide Illegal Fireworks Task Force reports results of recent enforcement actions.

From January through the end of June, Task Force officers seized approximately 1,000 pounds of illegal fireworks from various sources in the community. On Tuesday, July 2, 2024, Task Force officers seized approximately 200 pounds of illegal fireworks from a home in Waipahu. Various illegal aerial fireworks were seized and the investigation is ongoing.

On Wednesday, July 3, 2024, DLE launched SaferWatch, an online and mobile safety system that allows for anonymous reporting of illegal fireworks in the community. During the Independence Day holiday, 59 tips regarding illegal fireworks were submitted to DLE through the new app. The information in these tips is being analyzed and the Task Force will monitor actionable information.

Also during the Independence Day holiday, the Task Force conducted a covert operation in the Waipahu area, resulting in six individuals receiving citations for illegal use of aerial fireworks. These citations are misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine. Task Force officers conducted surveillance of the area and caught the suspects while they were setting off the illegal fireworks. As a result of the surveillance operation, numerous homemade, multi-shot mortars capable of launching large aerial projectiles were seized. In addition, several illegal Class 1.4 and 1.3 aerial mortar projectiles were also recovered in their tubes and ready to be launched. Class 1.3 fireworks are considered “show fireworks” and should only be used by licensed fireworks professionals who have specialized training and many years of experience. They are extremely dangerous and are never intended for home use by the public.

Finally, the Task Force is also filing the first felony charges in cases that occurred in December 2023. In separate investigations, Wolfgang Clark, 21, of Waipahu, and Daniel Young, 51, of Kapolei, were arrested and released pending investigation in December 2023 for selling illegal aerial fireworks to an undercover police officer. Clark was subsequently arrested on June 12, 2024, and Young was arrested on June 14, 2024, on an outstanding warrant charging them with violating state fireworks control law. These violations are Class C felonies in Hawaii, punishable by up to five years in prison and fines. The Attorney General’s Department is handling the prosecution of the two cases. Both Clark and Young are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

“I want to thank the public for their continued support of the task force by reporting incidents of illegal fireworks use and those illegally distributing them.” said DLE Director Jordan Lowe. “I would also like to thank our law enforcement partners for their assistance and continued work to address the illegal fireworks problem in Hawaii.”

DLE is the coordinating agency for the Illegal Fireworks Task Force, which includes state narcotics agents, sheriff’s deputies, county police officers, the Department of the Attorney General, and federal agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Investigation Service, United States Customs and Border Protection, United States Coast Guard Investigation Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

More information about SaferWatch can be found at www.saferwatchapp.com and is available for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Additional crime categories visible in the app are currently in development and will be available soon.

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