Indio police using drones to catch illegal firework users this Fourth of July
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) - The Indio Police Department (IPD) is cracking down on illegal fireworks this Fourth of July, and this year enforcement is taking flight.
Officer Felipe Escalante said the department is deploying several drones to help identify and respond to firework violations.
"The entire city," Escalante said. "When people are calling in illegal fireworks during the Fourth of July, we will have drone operators deploy their drones from specific locations to see if we could capture on video whoever is setting off the illegal fireworks."
In Indio only "safe and sane" fireworks are permitted. Any fireworks not meeting this criteria are illegal in the city.
"They keep eyes on people who are setting off illegal fireworks and they were able to guide officers to that location," Escalante said. "Whenever they did catch somebody setting off the fireworks, the city does have a municipal code where it's zero tolerance for illegal fireworks and they did get cited."
He said first time offenders will receive a $2,000 fine and for repeat offenders it's up to $5,000.
The drones are equipped with sensors, cameras and even a speaker allowing officers to communicate with people on the ground in real time.
"They have high resolution cameras that allow us to zoom in from a distance," Escalante said. "With the zoom we can stay undetected and actually be able to get a good image."
Escalante said the goal is to promote safety.
We want to prevent firework related injuries, fires and disturbances," Escalante said. "And for the residents and visitors to enjoy their holiday."
IPD is asking anyone who sees illegal fireworks to report it to the Indio police fireworks hotline at 442-300-3104.