City Councilman Jeff Russell’s proposal to increase fines for fireworks isn’t a bad idea — it’s just not likely to do much if it’s enacted.

Russell, a retired police officer, said police officers used to make a custodial arrest for nuisance noise makers, but such arrests have no effect now because of bail reform. He proposes increasing the fines and having heavier fines for repeat offenders.

It’s not a bad idea, but it’s a difficult one to enforce. Police officers have to catch someone in the act of using fireworks in order to charge them, and that has proven problematic over the years, According to information provided to The Post-Journal by the Jamestown Police Department recently, officers responded to 429 fireworks complaints last year. That represents nearly a tripling of the complaints the department handled for all of 2019 with 156 received. Further, there were 105 complaints each in 2018 and 2017; and 67 in 2016.

In Chautauqua County and across the state, only devices known as sparklers are permitted; these devices do not rise into the air, do not fire inserts or projectiles and do not explode or produce an audible crackling sound as do fireworks.

Perhaps a better place to start is a countywide ordinance banning the sale of fireworks in Chautauqua County stores. It’s so easy to get fireworks these days that many people think they’re legal. Making people drive outside the county to buy fireworks may prove to be as much of a deterrent as increased fines.

Tim Jackson, city police chief, and Russell should approach their colleagues at the county level to pursue a countywide solution.