KENT COUNTY, Mich. —
We are a week away from Independence Day, and fireworks might be part of your 4th of July plans.
But there are recent rule changes about setting off fireworks in the state.
The new law, which went into effect in December of last year, gives local communities the option to lower the number of days when fireworks can be set off.
Statewide, there are now 12 days that local governments cannot prohibit people from setting fireworks off -- previously, that number was 30.
“It does give us the ability to enforce more days of fireworks violations,” said Sergeant Joel Roon with the Kent County Sheriff's Office. "However, we always prefer to try to educate first."
Sergeant Roon said while he doesn't have exact numbers, it appears to him there wasn’t a notable change in call volume during the first two firework holidays of the year.
“We really didn't see any increase in charges as a result of the new law," Sergeant Roon said.
But he said that could change as people learn more about the law.
“As people learn that there's potential for enforcement, that could result in higher call volumes, now that people realize that the police could actually do something about it,” Sergeant Roon said.
Deputies might now have more leverage when it comes to resolving disputes.
“Often times it helps us with that civil resolution, as opposed to someone who might say, 'You can't write me a ticket at all, I'm going to keep lighting off my fireworks,'” Sergeant Roon said.
This could all come into play in a matter of days
“Regardless of whether or not this law is in place, fireworks are going to be set off," he said. "There are going to be neighbor disputes about it, giving us the ability to resolve the issue more quickly is always a good thing.”
If you have a noise related complaint this holiday, look up the non-emergency number for your local dispatch. For something more urgent, call 911.
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