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Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Offers Tips on How to Safely Celebrate the New Year

By: Montgomery County Sheriff's Office
| Published 12/30/2019

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX - For the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, the safety of the citizens and property in our county is our priority! As you prepare for the New Year holiday, please be aware fireworks are legal in unincorporated areas of Montgomery County, and Deputies CANNOT instruct your neighbor to stop discharging fireworks since it is a legal activity. Most cities have city ordinances that prohibit the use of fireworks. Unincorporated (county) areas do not!

HOA deed restrictions are not enforceable by law enforcement. HOA's can enforce deed restrictions by issuing fines and /or legal lawsuits through legal counsel. If you have a complaint about the discharge of fireworks, take street addresses (names if possible), photographs of debris left by the discharge of the fireworks and report it to the HOA.

“Celebratory” gunfire is illegal in Texas. Anyone who fires a gun in a public place without a legitimate reason — you aren’t protecting yourself or shooting in a firing range — is committing disorderly conduct. That's a Class B misdemeanor (up to 180 days in jail and/or a $2,000 fine). And within a city, it’s a Class A misdemeanor.
The discharge of a firearm is illegal and should residents know of this occurring please contact your law enforcement agency to investigate.

It is typical during the New Year holiday that the call volume for MCSO is extremely high and we want to encourage residents to report and focus on the biggest issues that cause the most harm this time of year. This includes crimes such as DWI, Property Crimes, Robberies, Theft and other forms of Violence. Calls are dispatched based on the priority.

So help us help you by doing the following:
1. Use Fireworks responsibly by ensuring they are not pointed towards people or property. If you see fireworks being used in an irresponsible manner, then report it to MCSO. For those of you that are using fireworks, please do so responsibly, as you could be held liable for injuries and or damages if they occur as a result of your negligence.

2. Drink responsibly and use designated drivers or services like Uber or other rideshare partners. Report drunk drivers to MCSO immediately. Law enforcement has stepped up DWI Enforcement during this holiday season.

3. Our best advice is to avoid consumer fireworks and take in a public fireworks show. If you must use fireworks it is not recommended to hold fireworks to light them. We encourage parents to keep a close eye on children at events where fireworks are being used.

As a reminder, some pets are frightened of the fireworks. Due to this please consider bringing your pets indoors if possible. Animals may try to escape your yard to run from all the noise and no one wants to lose their beloved pet.

Finally, please be respectful to your neighbors and others. Some neighbors have traumatic disorders, disabilities while others have kids or pets that will be frightened by fireworks. For some, it’s as simple as they have to work that day and just want a good night’s sleep. We all understand its one night of celebration, but please be respectful of the hour and circumstances of others.

Dispatch will receive many calls from residents so we hope this will help cut down on those calls. Please celebrate responsibly and safely.

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