In an effort to address illegal fireworks concerns following a devastating New Year’s Eve explosion, the Hawaii Department of Law Enforcement (DLE) is organizing an Illegal Fireworks Buyback Event. This initiative, born from a collaboration with multiple agencies—including the Honolulu Police Department, Department of the Attorney General, Narcotics Enforcement Division, Honolulu Fire Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—aims to reduce the number of these dangerous items in circulation.
Set to take place on November 23 at the Honolulu Police Department Training Academy, this no-questions-asked event offers community members grocery gift cards in exchange for the safe disposal of banned fireworks. Spectrum Local News details that participants will be compensated at rates of $5 per pound for illegal fireworks and $10 per pound for display fireworks (mortars), with maximum redemption capped at $500 in grocery gift cards.
The specific items accepted at the buyback include aerial devices (cakes), canisters, aerial shells, mortars, and Roman candles. However, the event will not take retail outlet fireworks, such as firecrackers and fountains, nor will it accept homemade or modified fireworks, improvised explosives, guns, or ammunition. The DLE emphasizes the need for these fireworks to be transported in a container situated in the vehicle’s trunk, while drivers should stay inside their vehicles as the items are collected…