DALLAS — Over the Fourth of July weekend, special Dallas enforcement teams confiscated more than 1,000 pounds of fireworks and handed out nearly 15 citations.
This happened during a weekend when firecrackers, missiles and launchers were left in neighborhoods, parking lots and parks across Dallas.
Dallas Fire-Rescue and the Dallas Police Department said they increased their presence by deploying teams that consisted of two fire inspectors and one police officer in each police subdivision to respond to calls or complaints related to illegal fireworks.
On July 3 and 4, these teams handed out 13 citations and confiscated 1,299 pounds of fireworks, according to Dallas Police.
When officers couldn't identify who owned the illegal fireworks, they were not able to and did not issue citations.
The Dallas Police Department said it received thousands of calls for service over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Among those calls were 3,819 for fireworks violations, 1,337 calls for loud music and 1,031 calls for random gunfire, according to police.
In June, Dallas Fire-Rescue and the Dallas Police Department introduced fireworks safety information as part of their packaged presentations that actively targeted 120 multi-family locations with a history of high fireworks activity.
Dallas police also responded to many shootings over the holiday weekend, including one where police said five people were shot and three died from their injuries during a large block party that happened in Dallas' Hamilton Park.