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The illegal fireworks trade in Hawaiʻi is out of control, and the criminals are winning this war. The sad and tragic Salt Lake fireworks incident has become a wake-up call for county, state, and federal government officials to reevaluate their strategies and methods being used to battle the illegal explosives entering our state.

There has been little success, and from the videos on social media and local news, millions of dollars worth of illegal aerials are arriving on our shores.

HawaiÊ»i has become a war zone on New Year’s Eve like nowhere else in the world. It wasn’t like this in the past. Those who say this is traditional and cultural are not telling the truth. It is not normal to explode bombs in neighborhoods and communities. It was never tradition to terrify pets, trigger PTSD patients, explode fireworks throughout the year, and disrupt the quiet and tranquility of our islands.

Those breaking the law are criminals who don’t care about the wishes of the majority, and they need to know the public does not want this criminal intrusion in our neighborhoods.

My prayers and condolences to the victims and families of all fireworks-related deaths and injuries in the state during this New Year’s celebration.

So, what more can be done to battle the illegal fireworks trade?

As a state senator, I unsuccessfully advocated for random inspections in Hawaiʻi of shipping containers from the mainland. Explosive sniffing dogs could go through random selected containers to find the illegal contraband. This could be completed off-site of the harbor property so ports are not clogged and expensive delays are avoided.

Some shipping containers are randomly inspected for weight because this is where the shipping companies make their money. Containers from the mainland are rarely inspected for content. It would be too time-consuming to inspect the tens of thousands of containers entering our state each year.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, containers from foreign ports are heavily scrutinized by federal agencies. Domestic containers do not get the same attention.

The governor should support and the Legislature should pass legislation this session for random inspections of domestic containers from the mainland. Funding should be made available for modern technology, dogs and labor costs.

Complementing this idea is the use of fingerprinting at the front end of the shipping process to identify shippers. I asked Rep. Ed Case and Sen. Brian Schatz to look into this idea because I do not believe fingerprints are a requirement for shipping items to Hawaiʻi.

Criminals could easily use fake identification and fake documentation when shipping illegal contraband now. A set of fingerprints connects a real person to a shipment, and this could help law enforcement find those shipping illegal goods.

Civil Beat has written about the inability of government officials to arrest and convict those involved in illegal shipments, and fingerprinting could be a tool to assist law enforcement with their job.

Rep. Scot Matayoshi was recently on the news in support of sting operations to capture distributors and sellers involved in the black market. This is a good idea, if it is not currently happening.

Sting operations would be able to catch sellers or distributors and could be set up relatively quickly. This should happen now, since smuggling is a year-round endeavor, and it is likely that illegal shipments are en route or will be soon.

The Legislature should help fund sting operations which would involve county, state and federal personnel. The Legislature should also provide funding to CrimeStoppers and provide a reward to witnesses if a person is convicted for illegal fireworks.

Once caught, dealers and importers should face jail time of up to 10 years. I believe the current sentence is up to five years, and a 10-year sentence will be a strong deterrent and will make some think twice before breaking the law.

In recent articles, Civil Beat noted how arrests and convictions were not occurring in the illegal fireworks trade here in Hawaii. This needs to change. Prosecutor Steve Alm, the Honolulu Police Department and other agencies must improve their track record and put some of these criminals behind bars.

In their own press releases, state Department of Law Enforcement shared that tons of illegal aerial fireworks had been found and confiscated. The governor mentioned 227,000 pounds of illegal fireworks that were seized.

Unfortunately, I am not aware that anyone was ever arrested and convicted for these seizures, and the bad guys will continue their crime sprees because there are no consequences for them. The criminals are making millions of dollars each year, and no one is being held accountable.

If more resources are needed by government, the Legislature should fund these items such as state-of-the-art laboratories or cargo scanners for harbors and ports. Scanners can now penetrate metal and see the inside of containers.

Confidential informants can help gather intelligence, and the state Legislature should consider funding informants involved with criminal elements. The more information secured, the better the possibilities for arrests.

The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office, the Honolulu Police Department and our judicial branch must work together to win more court cases and have less cases dismissed. If changes or methodologies need to be changed or amended, then do it now, please.

I know an individual in West Oahu who was willing to testify against someone using illegal fireworks. This person told me the prosecutor’s office and HPD never got back to her. I don’t know all the details, but low level cases should be pursued to get the public’s attention.

More needs to be done on the judicial side, and maybe an increase in civil fines of up to $5,000 need to be given to buyers, courtesy of Act 104 (2022).

Act 248 passed in 2019, allows witness statements from the general public who witness violations and/or who have photos and video as proof. This law should be aggressively used, and rewards from CrimeStoppers should be given to brave neighbors and people who are fed up with illegal fireworks.

If people start to harass and threaten witnesses, the full weight of the law should come down hard on the perpetrators and increased fines or jail time should be implemented. Government needs to show that lawlessness will not be tolerated.

These are a few ideas that can have an impact this year if we have the political will to pass legislation and provide funding. Positive results can become reality with the right leadership and attitude.

The quality of life for HawaiÊ»i residents is at stake. Will the criminals win or will government be able to stop the flow of illegal fireworks? Imagine a HawaiÊ»i where we don’t hear fireworks or explosions throughout the year. That’s how it used to be.

We may not be able to stop illegal fireworks 100% of the time, but we can create a Hawaiʻi where peacefulness, calm and tranquility are the norm year round. The time where illegal aerial fireworks were colorful, beautiful and accepted must come to an end.

Finally, government, businesses, and corporations should work together to host regional fireworks displays, and provide safe wholesome options for residents to celebrate and welcome the new year. Fireworks-related deaths and injuries should not be the main news on Jan. 1.