Riverside says drone pilot doubled fireworks citations on July 4; police and fire detail operations
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Summary
City staff told council the July 4 drone/patrol pilot more than doubled fireworks citations (65 vs. 24 previously), aided in identifying hotspot locations and generated 14 administrative citations by arson investigators; council discussed resource limits and neighborhood coverage gaps.
City of Riverside fire and police staff reported to the City Council on July 15 that a new drone enforcement pilot and concentrated operational response substantially expanded the city's fireworks enforcement and response capacity during the July 4 holiday.
Fire Department operations lead Brian Gazzetta said July 4 saw 160 calls for service citywide — roughly 30% above a typical day — with 76 calls during the evening fireworks window and 20 significant calls including vegetation and two structure fires. The department overstaffed for the event, deploying additional engines, water tenders and ATVs to maintain coverage.
A Police Department representative described a coordinated enforcement campaign that used five teams combining PD, code enforcement and fire personnel and a drone program to monitor activity at scale. The department ran targeted public education and a media campaign that warned of a $1,500 fine for illegal fireworks use and placed digital billboards, web messaging and social media outreach in the weeks leading up to July 4.
Staff reported 65 total citations from their July 4 operations (24 in 2023; 29 the year prior). Fourteen citations were issued by arson investigators during evening patrols, one was generated by a patrol officer and the remainder by the drone enforcement program. The drone footage allowed staff to link activity to residences and gather evidence for enforcement while attempting to minimize privacy impacts, staff said.
Council members asked why certain neighborhoods — including Sycamore Canyon — reported fireworks activity but few or no citations. Police staff said the program focused finite resources on hot spots determined using 311 and calls-for-service data; logistical constraints on where drones could safely launch and operate also limited coverage in some areas. Staff said they hope to expand teams and spread coverage more evenly in future years.
The council thanked staff for the work; no formal action was required. Staff said they would evaluate operational lessons and consider resource allocation for future holiday enforcement.
