Government officials, you have a duty to protect the safety and welfare of the public from illegal activities that threaten us and that continue to elude the police departments, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and other law enforcement. You have a duty to exercise the police powers vested in you by the Hawaii State Constitution to end this threat that has touched the most vulnerable in our community and has continued for years to infringe upon the rights of law-abiding citizens.

The use of aerial fireworks and other illegally obtained explosives — such as cherry bombs, M-80s, M-100s and silver salutes, long held in our community as custom and tradition — is an inherently dangerous activity that speaks to a blatant disregard for the danger posed to others and to a complete lack of education about chemical mixtures of fuels and oxidizers.

Perpetrators launch pyrotechnics into the sky without a thought as to where they will land. Does it make any sense to allow these materials in residentially zoned areas where the rooftops are often less than 10 feet apart? Excessive noise and smoke, and the potential to cause fires, jeopardize the lives of everyone in the community, as well as defenseless animals. If we have learned nothing about the recent wildfire tragedy on Maui, the message that wind carries and spreads fire should have taken hold.

If 24 tons of illegal fireworks were confiscated in 2024, there is an obvious demand that has created a vibrant underground industry. Somewhere, these pyrotechnic materials are likely stockpiled and warehoused, and someone out there is making a great profit. People who have purchased illegal fireworks know where they purchased them.

Do we need additional support from the ATF in finding the perpetrators? Bring in ATF Director Steve Dettelbach.

Government officials, please step further into your role regarding the regulation of safety. Exercise your police powers and stop kowtowing to those who purport that the denotation of explosives is a right afforded them by culture.

When a cultural practice takes the lives of the innocent, we must end that practice and protect our most vulnerable from people who are untrained in the use of explosives, and who possess no permit or license to use these materials.

Ban the use of display and consumer fireworks in residential neighborhoods that impact upon private property rights and provide a safer venue for people to celebrate. Host professional firework displays throughout the state on important holidays. Launch a public health initiative to educate the public of the dangers of pyrotechnics. Encourage the reporting of the sale or use of any suspicious items to police and fire departments, or to call 1-888-ATF-BOMB.

And offer a Good Neighbor Award/Reward to those brave and responsible citizens who are advocates of health and safety and who assist in the identification of those who brazenly break the law. We would appreciate peace at the New Year and be relieved of the annual fear that our lives and homes are in danger.

Jennifer Lee Busto, of Hawaii Kai, is a licensed REALTOR® who supports the protection of property rights and greater regulation of public safety in residential communities.