New Lenox Police Don't Issue Any Fireworks Citations

If you were in New Lenox over the holiday weekend, there's a good chance you heard fireworks—and I'm not talking about the .

Down my block, there were fireworks going off until 2 a.m. most nights over the weekend. I saw some off in the distance, too, perhaps coming from near Schoolhouse Manor. Other readers chimed in and said they heard neighbors setting off fireworks, too.

In Illinois, that's illegal and can carry a hefty fine and even some jail time, but New Lenox Police reported that no fines or citations were written over the weekend.

Sgt. Hilary Davis said the department received some calls from residents, but that after investigating the area, no citations were written. She added that police will often ask residents to stop shooting off the fireworks once before writing a citation.

"That happens more frequently than not," she said. "Generally our officers would check the area and if they don’t see anything they'll wait for another call."

Deputy Chief Bob Pawlisz of the New Lenox Police Department said that locally, there is a $25 fine if you're caught with some smaller fireworks, such as bottlerockets or firecrackers. But if you have the larger, industrial-like stuff that goes boom, there's a fine of up to $750 and you could possibly be charged with a Class A misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of 364 days in Will County Jail.

One reader said he had an issue with his neighbors shooting fireworks. After calling the police, an officer responded but didn't write a ticket.

"I called the New Lenox Police on my neighbors because they were blowing off mortars and half sticks of dynamite when my baby was trying to sleep," the reader said. "The officer didn't even bother to give them a ticket. The officer walked toward the garage for a half second then walked back to his car. As he walked back to his car, the guys started hiding the fireworks. The officer spoke with the neighbor for a few minutes and then drove away. The minute the officer left the scene, the neighbors started blowing off fireworks again."