Seaside Police is preparing itself for the onslaught of illegal fireworks.

If you live or work in Seaside, like I do, you may have heard something familiar at this time of year: explosions. 

It’s that time again where some residents in America celebrate the country’s independence by blowing things up—but let’s be honest, it’s more about explosions than any celebration of nationhood. 

There’s a common misconception that illegal fireworks come into California from Mexico, but that’s false—they come in through the port at Long Beach, from China, and are then offloaded and trucked to states where they are legal, including Nevada. Then, they are bought up en masse and sold illegally in-state—because why smuggle them across the border when you can instead drive them across a state line?

This weekend will mark the first time this year Seaside Police Department is ramping up its enforcement, as it does every year, and Police Chief Nick Borges is of the opinion that his department has never been better prepared for the inevitable onslaught. 

For one, the city has hired an outside security firm that will add 12 more pairs of boots on the ground—they won’t be empowered to make arrests or write citations, obviously, but they can be witnesses, and also help educate residents about the rules.

The department will also be harnessing technology from Flock Safety, a surveillance tech company the city also uses for license plate recognition. “Every explosion that happens in the sky, we’ll be able to track,” Borges says, who adds that last year saw a slight dropoff in explosions from the year before, a trend he’s hoping can continue—either way, the city will know, definitively.

There is going to be a 10pm curfew for so-called “safe and sane” fireworks, which are legal in the city, for now at least—earlier this year, the City Council voted to put an initiative on the ballot for the upcoming election, giving residents the final say as to whether they want them to remain legal. 

Borges adds that, aside from banning parking on Gen. Jim Moore Boulevard—a popular spot to watch explosions going off throughout the city—the city’s parking enforcement team will be working overtime, in tandem with the department, and will be patrolling throughout the night.

I hope everyone stays safe out there, and sane.

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