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Salem Launching Fireworks Crackdown After 2,000% Increase In Complaints

SALEM (CBS) – Salem is cracking down on illegal fireworks after seeing an uptick in recent weeks.

The city is launching a new campaign aimed at educating residents about the dangers of fireworks and the fines they could face for using them.

Police are now adding patrols, looking for illegal fireworks. Mayor Kim Driscoll said it's a big problem that needs to be addressed.

"We've seen a huge uptick in fireworks activity. We had five fireworks complaints last year between May 1 and June 15. That same time period this year, we've seen 116 complaints, so that's over a 2,000% increase," she said.

Residents can go to the city website to report illegal fireworks.

There's also a map of reports filed by other residents.

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