This week, the City Council passed a motion the councilman Tim McOsker introduced aimed at addressing the growing danger of illegal fireworks in a new way. While the city spends significant time, money and resources pursuing those who set off illegal fireworks, those efforts alone have not solved the problem.
McOsker’s motion asks the city attorney to examine whether Los Angeles can pursue civil or criminal action against the manufacturers, importers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers that profit from the fireworks supply chain while knowingly or negligently allowing these inherently dangerous products to reach people who use them illegally. It also calls for exploring ways to trace where illegal fireworks come from, recover city costs related to fires and emergency response, and work with other jurisdictions facing the same problem.
“We need to look not just at those who set off illegal fireworks, but also determine how we can hold accountable the businesses that profit while our neighborhoods suffer the consequences,” said McOsker.