You’ve heard of gun buybacks to get firearms off the street. In San Mateo County, the sheriff is trying fireworks buybacks to improve community safety.
The first Fireworks Buy Back Program will take place Sunday, June 25, in an effort to curb illegal fireworks activities, Sheriff Christina Corpus said in a statement.
“Our community members have shared countless stories with me about how illegal fireworks activity on and around July 4th impacts them by threatening their sense of safety and diminishing their quality of life,” Corpus said.
The buyback offers up to $75 in cash, no questions asked, to turn in unused or unwanted fireworks. The bounty is based on weight and other factors, the sheriff’s office said.
The goal is to reduce the risk of accidents, injuries, and fires to individuals and property, the sheriff’s office said.
Fireworks can be turned in from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at a parking lot at 2500 Middlefield Road, Redwood City.
San Mateo County has recently ramped up its effort to discourage the use of fireworks, where their sale and possession has been outlawed for years. Violators can be fined up to $1,000, and up to $2,000 if they are used near schools, pet shelters, senior facilities or places where alcohol is consumed. In April, county supervisors approved an ordinance that also makes it illegal to be a spectator at an unsanctioned fireworks display, with fines of $500 for a first-time offense and $1,000 for repeat offenders.
Given the alternatives, getting paid a few bucks to surrender one’s horde of tiny explosive devices might not be half bad.