Hundreds of fireworks complaints, yet few tickets written in Des Moines metro

More than 1,000 complaints about fireworks were called into Des Moines metro police stations this weekend, but only 11 citations were written.

And the Des Moines Fire Department was busy with 20 fires confirmed to be caused by fireworks, according to city data.

Meanwhile, the Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department is dealing with thousands in dollars of fireworks damage to 27 of its city parks.

Here's a roundup of what happened over the long Fourth of July weekend, from June 30 to July 4:

More: Can you set off Fourth of July fireworks? Here's when and where it's allowed.

Iowa laws allow fireworks but some cities have restrictions

Iowa law allows people to use or explode consumer fireworks between June 1 through July 8 and Dec. 10 through Jan. 3 of each year. It's up to each city whether they want to restrict their use.

Misdemeanors and fines in cities where consumer fireworks are prohibited altogether can range from $100 too $650. In cities like Windsor Heights and Des Moines, individuals can receive a misdemeanor and a fine of $625 for the use of consumer fireworks.

Ankeny allowed fireworks to be launched on July 4 between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m., though spokesperson Sgt. Corey Schneden said they received 100 calls between July 1 and July 4.

Hundreds of complaints made to police, few citations issued

The Des Moines Register received data on fireworks complaints from Ankeny, Ames, Bondurant, Carlisle, Clive, Des Moines, Grimes, Indianola, Pleasant Hill, Urbandale and West Des Moines. They received a total of 1,187 calls from June 30 to July 4.

Only nine citations were issued between Ankeny, Ames, and Indianola. Two citations were issued in Des Moines but earlier in June.

Des Moines, which reported calls between July 1 and July 4, responded to 674 complaints about fireworks — about 25% of its call volume during that time period, according to data provided by the city.

West Des Moines received 150 complaints between June 30 and July 4. Police there issued zero citations.

In response as to why there is such a difference in calls placed and citations issued, Schneden said it boils down to whether police are busy with other priority calls like domestic assaults and traffic accidents.

"Many times these types of calls wait if there are more urgent calls," he said in an email. "By the time an officer responds, they are unable to locate anyone so no enforcement action takes place."

In other instances, the calls just don't reach the level to issue a citation at all, according to Sgt. Jason Heintz, spokesperson for the West Des Moines Police Department.

Between June 30 and July 4, Indianola received 25 calls and issued five citations for exploding fireworks prohibited by the local ordinance and date violations. Ames got 94 calls and issued two citations, according to the Ames Police Department.

Between July 30 and July 6, the Urbandale Police Department responded to 75 calls for service related to fireworks compared to 83 such calls in 2022. The department also self-initiated 62 more fireworks-related contacts and issued a total of 17 citations, according to Urbandale Police Department Public Information Officer Holly Pickett.

Des Moines parks see thousands of dollars in fireworks damage

In Des Moines, where fireworks use remains illegal, the Parks and Recreation Department reported 27 of its 77 parks and a few of its trails were damaged from fireworks and debris. There were 22 parks damaged last year, according to Ally MacLean, a city spokesperson.

The city says it's so far taken 97.5 hours of staff time to clean up the damage. Two trash bins that cost more than $4,000 were destroyed at Evergreen Park, 2006 Evergreen Ave., and Riverwalk Park, 800 W. River Drive. Bates Park, 330 Clark St., had the most damage, MacLean said.

"Our dedicated crews are working hard to restore our parks' beauty," said the Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department on Twitter. "27 out of 77 parks were affected, resulting in 97.5 staff hours & $4,038 in repair costs."

Des Moines sees 20 fireworks-related fires

The city said Des Moines Fire Department also responded to 20 fires that were confirmed to be caused by fireworks including one incident that involved four garages and two houses and one that involved a soffit and roof. There also were 10 garbage fires, seven small brush/rubbish fires and one fire at a small wooden drainage bridge.

Noelle Alviz-Gransee is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Follow her  on Twitter @NoelleHannika or email her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Fireworks complaints were high, Des Moines parks saw $4,000 in damage