DENVER — Law enforcement agencies across the Denver metro are deploying drones this Fourth of July weekend to respond to illegal fireworks complaints.
Wheat Ridge Police Department plans to use drones to respond to calls about illegal fireworks throughout the holiday, according Alex Rose, a spokesperson with the department.
Back in 2024, Denver7 covered the launch of the program.
"Our intention is absolutely not to be big brother in the sky, but is to be more reactive to the citizens' concerns and complaints related to fireworks in our city," a Wheat Ridge Police officer said at the time.
Last year, Wheat Ridge had 152 fireworks calls from July 3-5, but only issued one summons for a party that had 19 calls and was launching commercial-grade fireworks, according to Rose.
Northglenn Police are also using drones.
The department shared this drone video with Denver7 from last Fourth of July. It captured a group setting off fireworks on a path behind some homes, with sparks flying off the pavement.
"We’ll still send officers to fireworks calls when they’re available, but as with other types of calls, the drone may be used for overwatch and can often help us better identify the exact location since complaints are often vague," Northglenn Police said in a statement.
While counties across Colorado have restricted sales and canceled shows, Commerce City is one place where fireworks are legal — on July 3 and 4 until 11 p.m. The tent at Mile High Fireworks does not sell anything that leaves the ground, per Colorado law.
Owner Jordan Correy said safety education is a top priority with every sale.
"Making sure that they soak all of the fireworks," he explained. "That's exactly why we keep these buckets, give these out to all of our customers. Just proper safety is the biggest thing."
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