The Anaheim Police Department used drone operators for the first time to help capture people setting off illegal fireworks during the Independence Day weekend.

Perpetrators who were caught are now facing $1,000 fines per violation for using the illegal fireworks, according to the department. The successful operation resulted in 45 people being cited in connection with illegal firework use.

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 Our community has complained about illegal fireworks for a number of years,  said Sgt. Eric Anderson of the Anaheim Police Department.  We spent this whole last year with education, providing information to our community about what illegal fireworks are and how we can help combat those problems. 

The drone operators helped Anaheim police helicopter pilots surveil illegal fireworks in the city. Thanks to them, police seized roughly 185 pounds of illegal fireworks between Thursday and Saturday night.

 They can see it go up, but they can't pinpoint exactly where,  said Robert Perez, a drone pilot.  So, this allows us to see the explosion and then look down, utilizing a map, pinpointing an address for a location to find out the people responsible. 

In one video used as an example, a man was captured by a drone setting off an illegal firework in the middle of a residential neighborhood. He's one of the dozens of individuals who were tacked with a fine.

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