Advertisement Fireworks easy to buy, hard to use in the metro Share Shares Copy Link Copy

The Fourth of July is right around the corner, tempting central Iowans to light off fireworks.As the Fourth of July approaches, police are reminding their respective communities that being able to purchase fireworks does not mean they can be used.Very few cities in the metro allow residents to use fireworks, and the cities that do have a limited time frame to do so."You cannot set them off inside the city limits," Des Moines police Sgt. Paul Parizek said.Des Moines, West Des Moines, Windsor Heights, Clive, Urbandale, and Altoona have all banned fireworks.Only four cities allow residents to shoot them off:Residents in Waukee and Bondurant can use fireworks July 3-4.Ankeny and Pleasant Hill allow fireworks July 4.Fireworks can be used outside of city limits in Polk County, if you are on private property.Parizek said it is difficult for police to enforce fireworks ordinances because officers must witness someone using fireworks or receive a report from someone who saw it happen."We need someone who has actually seen this crime occur (and) be willing to follow the investigation through, even if that means testifying in a court hearing," he said.Parizek said people are often reluctant to go through the entire process."We're going to really kind of lean on the enforcement this year, step that up and see if we can get that kind of cooperation so that we put a little bit of teeth in the ordinance," he said.