Dayton, Beavercreek, Kettering, Oakwood, Fairborn, Trotwood and Vandalia all passed ordinances making those fireworks illegal. Several of those cities received complaints regarding illegal displays this week, but it only resulted in two citations, one in Kettering and one in Dayton.
Fairborn officials responded to eight fireworks-related calls, but City Manager Rob Anderson said they use verbal warnings before issuing citations or arresting those involved.
“We have found that most people comply with the law once they are approached by our police officers,” Anderson said.
Many local residents took to social media to discuss the pros and cons of the illegal fireworks displays.
Frustrations ranged from the size of neighborhood displays, to how many nights in a row they go on, with one Kettering woman saying it interrupts her sleep and work routines, and others saying their dogs are miserable and on-edge for days.
Others argued those complaints are overblown for just a few days of disturbance, saying the fireworks take them back to their childhood, or bring neighbors together. They encouraged anti-fireworks neighbors to play music or use ear plugs, and to medicate their animals.
Beavercreek banned private fireworks use in March 2022 saying they pose “significant danger to the public and may cause serious injuries, as well as significant property damage in residential and business areas,” the city ordinance read.
Beavercreek Police received 13 calls regarding firework complaints over the weekend, and city spokeswoman Katy Carrico said they gave several verbal warnings, but no citations.
Kettering neighborhoods saw plenty of fireworks over the weekend and on the holiday itself. Tyler Johnson, public information officer for Kettering Police, said only one incident resulted in a citation ... and in this case, an arrest.
“Officials were dispatched four separate times to illegal firework displays near Stroop Road,” Johnson said. “After one warning, and two summons from police, the man was arrested for disorderly conduct and public intoxication.”
According to a Kettering Police incident report, officers were dispatched to the same home near Stroop Road and Ackerman Boulevard four separate times because of a party that included fireworks. Police said the man acknowledged the initial warning and received the two follow-up citations, but continued to light fireworks each time after police left.
Police in Trotwood, Vandalia and Oakwood all said they issued zero citations for fireworks violations over the holiday. Oakwood police said they only got one complaint call all day on July 4.
“Outside of an occasional minor noise complaint commonly associated with fireworks that we receive from time to time, fireworks complaints have really been a non-issue for us for past several years,” Oakwood Public Safety Chief Alan Hill said.
Dayton Police responded to one incident Tuesday night that was more than just fireworks.
An “unlicensed fireworks show” started near Gettysburg and Hoover avenues, and Dayton Police said officers were monitoring it and developing a plan to respond as crowds began to grow. Parts of the street were shut down for safety because of reports that vehicles involved in hooning and stunt driving were headed to the area.
As the situation became more dangerous, officers intervened to break up the crowd, according to DPD, with one injury and two arrests eventually occurring.
Though cities took little legal action due to illegal fireworks displays, police reminded residents that safety issues remain, and that fireworks are banned from private use.
Staff writers Aimee Hancock, London Bishop and Cornelius Frolik contributed to this report.
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