Fireworks calls, summons down from 2017, but enforcement remains test for police

Richard G. Hallinan (Rochester Police photo)

ROCHESTER - Fireworks scofflaws proved a challenge for Rochester Police again this year, with some 28 complaint calls coming in on Tuesday and Wednesday, 20 in just a matter of hours late Wednesday night.

However, there was at least one positive for police as a man wanted on burglary and riot charges was picked up after an officer on a bicycle spotted two people setting off fireworks on Portland Street around 10:30 p.m. on Independence Day.

Richard G. Hallinan, 40, of 336 Portland St., Apt. #2, who had an open warrant, was taken immediately into custody at the scene of the fireworks incident.

Hallinan faces charges in connection with a break-in and assault of a 24-year-old victim around midnight on May 30.

Upon questioning of the victim inside Frisbie Memorial Hospital's Emergency Room, police learned that on May 29 shortly before midnight a group of subjects in one car arrived at the victim's home on Strafford Road.

According to Police, there were four men in the car - including Hallinan - who got out, went to the residence's door and confronted the victim.

As the victim told them to leave and shut the door, they forced their way in and assaulted him.

"This was not random - they knew each other and they had a 'beef' between them," Rochester Police Capt. Jason Thomas said today.

Hallinan is the first of the four to be arrested. He was being held on $500 bail pending arraignment today.

Thomas said police know the identities of the others involved and have three open warrants, but didn't want to name them at this time.

Matthew Spencer ... summonsed twice in two days (Rochester Police photo)

Meanwhile, fireworks complaints continued on Lafayette Street on Tuesday as the man who was summonsed and then arrested in a fireworks fracas on Sunday was caught lighting off fireworks without a permit again.

Matthew Spencer, 32, of 40B Lafayette St., was issued his second fireworks summons in two days. Spencer was arrested on disorderly conduct and resisting arrest charges on Sunday in a confrontation partly captured on cellphone video that went viral.

Thomas said an officer in the Lafayette Street neighborhood heard the fireworks and called it in at nearly the same time a resident phoned dispatch to complain.

A cruiser responded to the area, with two officers then walking over a couple of streets to Lafayette where they found Spencer by himself lighting off the pyrotechnics around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Also arrested on Sunday were Heather Hodgdon, 36, 40B Lafayette St. (Simple assault on law enforcement X 3, resisting arrest or detention, attempted criminal mischief); and Nicholas Eaton, 18, of 11 Olde Farm Lane, Rochester (Disorderly conduct, resisting arrest or detention).

Thomas summed up police frustration with the scofflaws by saying with the hundreds of dollars they spend on fireworks and the maximum $100 fine for a fireworks violation, doesn't it make sense to just pay for the $5 city permit?

Thomas said police issued just three summons in all on Tuesday and Wednesday compared to 14 during last year's four-day Fourth of July weekend.