Jul 6, 2022 - News

Des Moines' parks left littered after Fourth of July celebrations

A photo of park litter.

Some of the Fourth of July leftovers at Des Moines' Frisbie Park on Monday. Photo courtesy of Des Moines Parks and Recration

The majority of Des Moines' 76 parks have significant litter left behind from Independence Day fireworks, Parks and Recreation Director Ben Page told Axios Tuesday.

State of play: Cleanup will take all week.

  • Volunteers are being asked to chip in.

What they're saying: "It's disheartening because these are the community's parks, not just for some idiots who want to come out and destroy our public parks," Page said.

Of note: Des Moines Police received 622 fireworks-related complaints between July 1 and Monday, Police Sgt. Paul Parizek told Axios.

  • Last year they responded to around 560.
  • Residential consumption of fireworks is against the law in DSM and they've caused at least one significant house fire in recent years, fire marshal Jonathan Lund said in a July 1 video.
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