Caldwell Agencies Report Safe and Successful Independence Day Weekend

Published on July 10, 2026

Thousands of residents and visitors celebrated Independence Day throughout Caldwell during one of the community's busiest weekends of the year. Thanks to extensive planning, coordinated operations, and proactive enforcement efforts, local public safety agencies helped ensure a safe holiday for everyone enjoying the festivities.

Throughout the weekend, personnel from the Caldwell Police Department, Caldwell Fire Department, and partner agencies worked together to provide enhanced staffing, increased patrols, rapid emergency response, and continuous monitoring of community events.

Proactive Policing Leads to Historically Low Crime

The Caldwell Police Department focused heavily on proactive enforcement before problems could occur. Officers conducted directed patrols, traffic enforcement, neighborhood patrols, and fireworks enforcement throughout the city.

During the reporting period, officers generated 334 proactive contacts compared to 302 reactive calls, demonstrating a prevention-first approach to public safety. Officers also conducted 122 directed patrols, 102 traffic stops, made 5 arrests, issued 9 citations, and made numerous additional enforcement contacts.

Despite one of the busiest weekends of the year, reported criminal activity remained exceptionally low. Over the nearly 48-hour reporting period, Caldwell experienced:

1 assault
2 domestic violence incidents
4 thefts
0 homicides
0 robberies
0 burglaries
0 vehicle thefts

"The measure of success is the absence of crime," said Caldwell Police Chief Rex Ingram. "Although we enjoy being popular, this is not a popularity contest. Our mission is to keep the community safe and that's exactly what we do every day. Historically, the Fourth of July brings an increase in crime. In Caldwell, we crushed crime and continue to do so because our men and women are simply the best at doing their job. Training, technology, and deployment are critical to keeping everyone safe."

Firefighters Respond Across the Region

Firefighters remained busy throughout the holiday, responding to a variety of emergency incidents while maintaining coverage for the community.

From July 4 through the early morning hours of July 5, the Caldwell Fire Department responded to:

17 grass and wildland fires
2 structure fires as part of mutual aid assistance to the Nampa Fire Department
51 fireworks-related incidents handled in coordination with the Caldwell Police Department

In addition to holiday-related incidents, firefighters also responded to several significant emergencies during the weekend, including a plane crash in Greenleaf, a low angle rescue, and a drowning response.

"Our firefighters prepare year-round for weekends like this," said Fire Chief Bryan Daniels. "The combination of dry conditions, fireworks, increased travel, and large community events creates a demanding operational environment. I am proud of the professionalism and teamwork our crews demonstrated while protecting our community and supporting our neighboring agencies."

Emergency Communications by the Numbers

Canyon County Dispatch managed a significant increase in emergency communications during the holiday weekend.

Between July 4 and the early morning of July 5:

408 emergency 911 calls were answered.
330 administrative phone calls were received.
Law enforcement responded to 636 calls for service.
Fire agencies responded to 182 calls for service and 98 EMS calls.

Technology Supports Public Safety

The Caldwell Police Department's Drone First Responder (DFR) program also played an important role during holiday operations.

Between July 1 and July 5:

34 drone flights were completed.
16 Drone First Responder deployments occurred.
Drones responded to 10 calls for service and arrived before patrol officers on 7 incidents, providing valuable situational awareness to responding officers.

A Community Effort

The success of the Independence Day weekend was made possible through months of planning and the coordinated efforts of local public safety agencies, city departments, community partners, and residents.

The City of Caldwell thanks everyone who celebrated responsibly, followed safety recommendations, and helped make the holiday enjoyable for the entire community.