De Blasio says NYC will crack down on illegal firework activity

The city will begin cracking down on illegal firework activity that has ramped up in recent weeks — but pyromaniacs themselves won’t be targeted because it’s “not a good use of police’s time and energy,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday.

De Blasio announced the formation of a task force — comprised of NYPD Intelligence Bureau officers, FDNY fire marshals and officers from the Sheriff’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation — that instead will go after suppliers and distributors of fireworks.

“I think the more profound issue is going to the root of the cause, cutting off the supply,” the mayor said at his daily press briefing.

Asked why authorities won’t be going after individuals setting off the fireworks, the mayor said, “A lot of cases you can’t intervene when someone shoots off fireworks and they’re gone. It’s just not a good use of police’s time and energy.”

De Blasio said he’d rather the NYPD focuses on the recent spate of shootings and “the most fundamental issues of public safety.”

“If any NYPD officer thinks something needs to be intervened on, that’s part of their professional discretion,” he added. “But the focus right now is on dealing with serious and violent crime.”

Complaints of illegal firework use have skyrocketed, with 8,967 reported to the city’s 311 system from June 1 through Sunday, compared to just 28 complaints logged in the same period last year.