Fireworks Prohibited inside City Limits

Four days away from the New Year and some are prepping to celebrate. Most people are out buying fireworks to help bring in the new year. The Meridian Police (MPD) Department is reminding residents that it is prohibited to fire off fireworks inside city limits.

For more than ten years, the city of Meridian has prohibited any resident inside the city limits to shoot fireworks. This year is no different. MPD is urging city residents to be aware of the consequences that come with going against this law.

“Last year on the New Year’s weekend officers responded to 270 calls”, stated Sgt. Heather Luebbers. “Out of those 270 calls, fifty of them were fireworks, and twenty-three were gunfire calls. We want to remind the citizens of Meridian that anyone who lives inside the city limits, that is against the city ordinance to shoot fireworks.”

The department says during this time of the year calls triple due to people not knowing whether the loud noises are fireworks or gunshots. By reminding you of the ordinance, they are hoping that the number of calls will be reduced this year.

“With everyone trying to celebrate the New Year coming in, we see an uptick in call volume. Usually, it’ll go up to double or triple sometimes. We’re hoping that by putting this out we can reduce that so we can focus on more priority calls such as shooting calls, domestic disturbances, accidents things like that”, stated Luebbers.

Fire Marshall Vince Vincent says for those who are outside of city limits, taking precaution is key.

“If you’re out in the county using them, I would suggest that you don’t let any underage children use them. You can always have a brush fire or house fire if you're too close to your resident. It can go up on the roof and cause a fire or you can get seriously injured”, said Marshall Vincent.

The total cost of fees after court for shooting fireworks inside the city limit is more than $150. If you are not sure where city limits end you can visit the city of Meridian’s webpage to find out https://www.meridianms.org/