Illegal fireworks causing headaches for residents in Quincy

QUINCY, Mass. — Residents in Quincy are upset after, they say, fireworks have been continuously set off throughout the spring and early summer.

"Almost every night when it's not raining," said Kathy Clifford of Quincy. "The kids go off and start lighting them off."

It has been a wet spring, but Clifford says the fireworks have been going off in the town for more than a year.

"They do cherry bombs, they do M-80's they do the ones that [go] into the sky that we have on July 3rd and 4th on the Esplanade," she said.

Residents say they've called police. Jennifer O'Mahony sent them a tweet on June 23rd.

Quincy Police, however, told Boston 25 News that they've only gotten five complaints since May 1st, but added:

"We are aware of the complaints and are trying to identify the perpetrators. We have increased patrols in the area, but we have been unable to locate those responsible."

That effort has not been good enough for neighbors who say the fireworks are disrupting their lives.

"It's quite horrible and babies are crying," Clifford said. "They're waking the whole neighborhood up."

It's illegal to set off fireworks or transport any fireworks into Massachusetts even if they're bought legally in another state unless you are professionally licensed. The law prohibits anything designed to "produce a visible or audible effect." This includes Class C fireworks like sparklers, party poppers, snappers, firecrackers, spinners, cherry bombs and more.

The penalty is a fine of $100 to $1,000 and/or up to a year of jail time. All illegal fireworks will also be seized by law enforcement.

Related: Where to watch fireworks throughout Massachusetts

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