Long Beach fireworks fines rocket to a possible $15,000

Setting off fireworks in Long Beach is now punishable with a possible sky-high fine of $15,000 after the City Council approved an increase to the top penalty this week.

Previously the fines ranged from $5 to $250 for a single violation of selling or discharging fireworks, firearms or “other explosives.” The new law, approved Tuesday, also provides for possible jail time of up to 15 days.

“Fireworks are dangerous. We're inundated with complaints about fireworks,” acting Police Commissioner Richard DePalma said in an interview. “These increased penalties, they give us a stronger tool to deter dangerous and reckless behavior before somebody gets seriously hurt.”

DePalma said the Long Beach Police Department doesn’t track fireworks violations as a category but estimated that they've received hundreds of complaints each year.

“We're seeing little stuff and we're also seeing the big stuff now,” DePalma said. “These mortars and these high-powered fireworks are becoming more prevalent.”

The beach community’s population swells during the summer, posing greater risks in the dense area.

“We're less than 4 square miles and people live right on top of each other,” DePalma said. “With these high- powered fireworks, not only is it dangerous for the people setting them off, it's dangerous for the people surrounding it because there is potential for fire, there's potential for damage, there's potential for injury.”

Judges will have discretion in how they impose penalties, he said.

Consumer fireworks are generally illegal to sell, possess or use under state law with penalties ranging from violations to felonies depending on the severity.

The City Council also clarified its language on prohibitions on e-bikes on the boardwalk on Tuesday. Long Beach’s code already banned motorized bicycles from being operated on the boardwalk. The change in the code makes it clear that this refers to e-bikes, DePalma said.

“Any motorized bicycle preceding the change the other night was not authorized on the boardwalk,” DePalma said. “We just updated the language to include e-bike to modernize the language.”

The boardwalk is intended to be a leisure experience where children, seniors and people with mobility issues share space with cyclists, he said.

“Bicycles are allowed and these e-bikes, unfortunately, there's people out there who don't ride them responsibly,” DePalma said. “They're not taking a leisurely cruise and unfortunately they ruin it for others.”

The city enforces the ban on e-bikes, including pedal-assist bikes, on the boardwalk through checkpoints, he said.