Pyrotechnics that make a loud noise or leave the ground are against the law.Over the course of the next few days, thousands of Macomb County residents will knowingly break the law, and police will do little to stop them.When the calendar turns to July, Independence Day celebrations in America soon follow. More often than not, that means backyard barbecues followed by fireworks displays.In Michigan, when those popular pyrotechnic productions are produced by somebody other than a licensed company operating with permission, they're illegal.But don't look for police to round up too many suspects."They (fireworks) go off right over my house," said Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel, a Macomb Township resident. "What  am I going to do, run out and arrest all my neighbors and take 'em to the hoosegow?"Under Michigan law, sparklers, toy noisemakers, toy smoke devices and cones or cylinders that shoot showers of sparks are among fireworks that can be used legally without a permit.But if products make a loud noise (firecrackers) or leave the ground (bottle rockets, roman candles), they're against the law.
But when it comes to the days surrounding the July 4 holiday, laws be damned. Celebrating the nation's birthday with fireworks is as American as apple pie.So from Warren to Ray Township, Sterling Heights to Lake St. Clair, Macomb County's skies will be ablaze in the coming nights with the rockets' red glare and bombs bursting in air.
"How do you stop it?" said John Childs, Sterling Heights fire chief. "It's a cultural thing."
Authorities don't exactly ignore the lawbreakers, but they don't go out of their way to spoil the celebrations either, police officials concede."We'll always respond to a complaint about fireworks," said  Robert Leman, Shelby Township police chief. "But unless something is really out of control, we'll warn (residents). It's a case-by-case thing."Hackel cited the logistical problems of police officers trying to run down everybody using illegal fireworks on a given night."Officers would be going from one street corner to another,"  he said. Like the officers in Shelby Township, Hackel's deputies also will answer specific complaints. But when dispatchers' switchboards light up with as much frequency as the skies, "it might take a while," the sheriff said.If police decided to crack down on violators they'd encounter a whole new set of problems. Because of the potential danger, illegal fireworks cannot be transported -- in a police car, for example -- or stored in a location like a police department's property room.
"We would be as much outside the law as people who keep fireworks in their garage," said Tom Means, Shelby Township fire marshal. "It's a major headache."Fireworks season always brings a rash of fires, property damage and injuries, although incidents are usually minor. But fire officials worry annually that this will be the year when the county's luck runs out."The fuse is lit," Means said. "Sooner or later we're going to get caught and somebody is going to get hurt."  This story courtesy of www.macombdaily.com