Feed: Slashdot
Feed Link: https://slashdot.org/
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Title: Drones Used by California Cities to Patrol for Illegal Fireworks and
Issue Fines

Link: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/07/06/22282...

"California residents who lit illegal fireworks over the July 4 holiday may
be in for a nasty surprise in the mail thanks to covert fire department
operations," reports SFGate. "A number of California cities, including
Sacramento, have begun using drones to locate people shooting off illegal
fireworks." From Wednesday to Saturday night, the Sacramento Fire
Department's special fireworks task force patrolled the streets with unmarked
cars and drones, focusing on neighborhoods where they've had prior
complaints. Task force officers and the drones took photos of the illegal
activity, and within 30 days the property owner where the fireworks were used
could receive a fine in the mail... This year, Sacramento upped the fine to
$1,000 for the first firework, $2,500 for the second and $5,000 per firework
after that. If you lit a firework on city property, such as a park or a
school, the fine goes up to $10,000 each. There's no limit to how many fines
you can be issued... This year, a number of cities across the state announced
they would be using drones to find scofflaws, among them Indio, Riverside,
Hemet, Brea and towns in Tulare County... Fox40 reported on Saturday that
around 60 citations were being prepared in Sacramento, with more likely on
the way as fire officials review surveillance footage. Last year for illegal
fireworks, one Sacramento-area resident received a $100,000 fine.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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