WARREN - City officials want residents to have a red, white and boom time this July 4th weekend.
Just not within city limits.
Unless, of course, it is the professional fireworks display at Packard Park, which will begin at approximately 9:15 p.m. today.
The city's police and fire departments will have a zero-tolerance attitude toward individuals setting off illegal fireworks and will be handing out citations that could net revelers fines up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail.
Effective Wednesday, city police officers were instructed not to ignore fireworks complaints, police Capt. Tim Bowers said.
"It is not that we ignored them in the past but they were kind of a low priority because we understood that people would be firing them on the Fourth of July," Bowers said. "Use and possession of fireworks is against Ohio and city laws."
People caught with fireworks will be given summons to appear in Warren Municipal Court and the fireworks will be confiscated, officials said.
"We are going to have a proactive enforcement of fireworks this entire weekend," Mayor Michael J. O'Brien said Thursday during a news conference. "As mayor, I received more calls during the year regarding fireworks abuse than any other calls of any other nature in the city."
O'Brien said the city is trying to address residents' concerns.
"We've had complaints in the past where we had residential neighborhoods with displays that have gone 50 to 60 feet in the air," O'Brien said. "The displays are not quite burned out as they land in gutters, on roofs and in trees."
The police will be able to do increased enforcement as a result of a traffic grant the city received from the Governor's Highway Safety office to enforce OVI/DUI traffic, aggressive driving and speeding.
"These officers - the extra officers - will have summons and they are not going to ignore firework violations," Bowers said. "Their primary efforts will be traffic, but they are not going to ignore the illegal use of fireworks. There will more than usual number of police on the street."
Fire Chief Ken Nussle said the increased enforcement around Independence Day actually began last year.
"Last year was not a bad year for fireworks," Nussle said. "We're hoping that our presence in the neighborhoods will be a deterrence to resident using individual fireworks."
Nationwide, the loss due to injury and property damage has been staggering.
"More fires and injuries occur on the Fourth of July than any other day," Nussle said.
"A finger can't be replaced," he said. "A hand can't be replaced. Eyes can't be replaced. We're asking for cooperation from residents."