PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — In the two days since the Fireworks Task Force was formed, police say they have arrested 14 people.
The group, organized by the Providence Police and Fire Departments along with the R.I. State Fire Marshal’s Office, will help reduce the number of fireworks used in the city in recent weeks.
On Thursday night, about a dozen law enforcement officials worked the streets and respond specifically to reports of fireworks and noise-related incidents.
The department tweeted that six people were arrested on Thursday and eight more on Friday.
“Here in Rhode Island, ground-based fireworks and handheld sparklers are legal. But given the cancellation of a number of recent fireworks displays locally, illegal fireworks have become more accessible to the public,” Colonel Hugh Clements said in a news release on Thursday.
“This has not only been a local but nationwide problem and with this comprehensive effort we will do our due diligence to ensure that this does not continue to be a nuisance within our neighborhoods.”
The task force will continue cracking down on fireworks used in the city from Thursday through Saturday.
