Hawaii law enforcement ask lawmakers for staff and money to crack down on illegal fireworks

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii authorities on Tuesday asked lawmakers for $5.2 million to hire eight people and expand a forensic lab to crack down on the persistent rampant smuggling of illegal fireworks like those that killed four people and injured about 20 more at a Honolulu home on New Year’s Eve.

Jordan Lowe, the director of the state Department of Law Enforcement, outlined the funding request during hearings before House and Senate committees at the state Legislature. Last week's deadly explosion highlighted the immense risks posed by illegal fireworks in Hawaii and put a spotlight on the department's efforts to address contraband explosives.

Hawaii lawmakers will consider budget requests during their next legislative session due to begin on Jan. 15.

The state already has an Illegal Fireworks Task Force that the department formed in 2023 together with other state, city and federal agencies. So far it has seized 227,000 pounds (103,000 kilograms) of fireworks and two people have pleaded no contest to felony indictments resulting from its work.

Lowe told lawmakers his department's contribution to the task force consists of two officers whose main job is handling narcotics enforcement. Whenever an operation is planned, the task force must pull personnel from the Honolulu Police Department, attorney general's office and other agencies.

“The problem with that is it’s really not sustainable,” Lowe told the House Finance Committee.

He explained how after a seizure of 30,000 pounds (13,600 kilograms) of fireworks, for example, officers must unload a shipping container holding the contraband, prepare an inventory list, reload the explosives into a container and then transport it to storage. Only then do they track down who bought and sold the shipment and determine whether they are able to prosecute the case.

The eight positions requested for the proposed Explosives Enforcement Section include six investigators, one of whom will be an administrator, and two clerks.

About $2 million of the initial startup cost would be for the laboratory, where investigators can analyze seized explosives. Currently, Honolulu police have the only forensics lab in Hawaii certified to analyze fireworks composition and Lowe said it is already overwhelmed.

The department will need to lease space, obtain equipment and hire a criminalist or someone to analyze evidence for the lab, Lowe said. Investigators will need safety equipment and vehicles. The department will need storage space.

The department also wants to work with county fire departments to set up a unified fireworks permitting system which would help investigators with enforcement.

Lowe acknowledged that the pace of fireworks seizures has dropped sharply over the past year. The task force captured 187,000 pounds (85,000 kilograms) from early December 2023 through early January 2024 but then only 40,000 pounds (18,100 kilograms) the rest of last year. Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz asked if the task force was getting fewer tips from people working at the ports due to threats and whether authorities would need a new source of information. Lowe replied that was correct.

An X-ray or particle scanner would allow the task force to identify more fireworks entering Hawaii but such large-scale canners cost millions, Lowe said.

On Saturday, the department plans to sponsor an amnesty event at Aloha Stadium at which it will allow people to drop off illegal fireworks without the threat of punishment. It said the event offers a way to dispose of fireworks in a safe manner.

“Our first responders have witnessed the tragic consequences of illegal fireworks use,” said Honolulu Fire Chief Sheldon Hao said in a news release. “To ensure public safety, we can no longer ignore or diminish the serious and deadly dangers associated with illegal fireworks.”

Separately, the Honolulu medical examiner said the fourth person killed in the New Year's explosion was Carmelita Beningno, age 61.

A view of the home where a New Year's Eve fireworks explosion killed and injured people, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

A view of the home where a New Year's Eve fireworks explosion killed and injured people, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

A woman walks in front of the home where a New Year's Eve fireworks explosion killed and injured people, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

Ski patrollers at the biggest U.S. ski resort reached a tentative deal with the corporate owner of Utah's Park City Mountain Resort to end a strike and resume normal operations after almost two weeks of closed terrain and long lift lines at the busiest time of year.

Neither the Park City Professional Ski Patrollers Association nor Colorado-based Vail Resorts released details about the agreement ahead of a planned ratification vote Wednesday.

Whatever happens, the strike brought attention — and judging from the many supportive car honks for strikers, sympathy — to the struggle of ski patrollers to make ends meet in pricey mountain communities.

A union win could produce better pay for other ski workers, predicted one industry watcher.

“Generally when one group of employees successfully bargains for a contract they think is fair, it does tend to create the ‘rising tide lifts all boats’ dynamic,” said Alex Kaufman, a former ski resort marketing executive and podcaster.

Park City, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of Salt Lake City, is a resort town of about 8,000 people where the average home price tops $1.5 million and the cost of living is well above average.

The 200 ski patrollers at Park City Mountain Resort went on strike on Dec. 27 alleging unfair bargaining in negotiations since March. The tentative deal to be in effect through April 2027 had the unanimous approval of ski patrol negotiators, according to a joint statement from the union and the resort.

“Everyone looks forward to restoring normal resort operations and moving forward together as one team,” the statement said.

Ski patrollers maintain safety by monitoring terrain, responding to accidents, hauling hurt skiers downhill and reducing avalanche risk, such as by releasing built-up snow with explosives when nobody’s nearby. It’s specialized work where familiarity with a resort’s terrain and how to respond to a variety of injuries and situations can be valuable.

It's also a seasonal job. Many ski patrollers work as fly-fishing, mountain biking and whitewater rafting guides in warmer months.

Pointing to steep inflation since 2022, the Park City Professional Ski Patrollers Association sought a pay increase from $21 to $23 an hour. The union said $27 is a livable wage in Park City, which is also home to Deer Valley Resort.

It also sought higher pay for the longest-serving patrollers. The current scale tops out after five years on the job.

Vail Resorts, which with 42 properties on three continents calls itself the world’s largest mountain resort operator, said it already had been generous with the Park City Mountain Resort ski patrollers, pointing to a 50% base-pay increase from $13 to $21 an hour in 2022. It was offering a 4% pay increase for most patrollers and $1,600 each year for their equipment.

Ski labor negotiations aren't unusual, but this strike happened after talks went much longer into the year than usual, drawing attention during a busy time, observed Kaufman.

"The issue was probably never really about the money or benefits. It was a conscious decision by Vail Resorts to let it bleed into the holidays," Kaufman said. “They overplayed their hand and paid the price.”

Despite long waits, even some Park City Mountain Resort skiers have been sympathetic to the workers. “Pay your employees!” they chanted from lift lines in videos posted on social media.

Labor unions have secured meaningful employer concessions in recent months following strikes by Boeing factory workers, dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports, video game performers, and hotel and casino workers on the Las Vegas Strip.

The 45,000 dockworkers’ ongoing threats to resume their strike over automation would shut down ports and could damage the economy as President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Park City Ski Patrol strike as they demand livable wages in Park City, Utah Jan 7. 2025, (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)

Park City Ski Patrol strike as they demand livable wages in Park City, Utah Jan 7. 2025, (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)

Park City Ski Resort lines and lifts are shut down due to the strike by the Park City Ski Patrol requesting livable wages in Park City, Utah, Tuesday, Jan 7. 2025,. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)

Park City Ski Patrol strike as they demand livable wages in Park City, Utah Jan 7. 2025, (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)