MONDOVI, Wis. (WEAU) – Whether set off by friends and neighbors or by official city fireworks displays, it’s hard to miss fireworks around the Fourth of July. Many of these fireworks are illegal, but plenty of people set them off anyway. This year, one western Wisconsin community is looking to crack down on those illegal fireworks.
“It’s kind of a tradition that’s been going on forever,” said Joe Dziekan of Mondovi.
This year, the Mondovi Police Department plans to take a tougher approach, hoping to crack down on illegal fireworks.
“The violations last year were just overwhelming, and many citizens contacted the city council, the mayor and the city administrator,” said Mondovi Police Chief David Shapiro.
This year, the Mondovi City Council passed a new ordinance that provides stricter regulations for illegal fireworks and higher fines for violations.
“Anything that’s left on the ground is the only thing that’s allowed under our regulations,” Shapiro said. “So you can’t fire mortars, you can’t fire anything that explodes, you can’t do anything like that.”
This is a decision on which community members have different opinions.
“Things are becoming too restrictive and people can’t enjoy everything they want to do,” said Duane Sokolosky, who lived in Mondovi.
“We’ve had issues with bullets being fired, but there was one year where I almost had one on my house on New Year’s Eve,” said Vicki Howell of Mondovi. “But I can see where there’s a difference between what’s safe and what’s not.”
Shapiro said they will have additional staff on July 4 to help enforce this new order.
“We’re not here to ticket everybody,” Shapiro said. “But if you’ve already been ticketed, you’re going to get a ticket, and if this is the third time we’ve been there, you’re going to go to jail.”
Shapiro said they have already issued a few tickets this week. Fines for violating the ordinance run more than $400, or more than $750 with court costs added. Shapiro said repeat violations can lead to arrests for disorderly conduct.
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