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Dallas Police Target Random New Year's Gunfire

(cc) Stephen Witherden (flickr.com)

By BJ Austin, KERA News

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-878106.mp3

Dallas, TX –

Dallas Police have a warning about New Year's Eve: do NOT fire guns into the air to celebrate. KERA's BJ Austin reports.

Last year, Dallas Police answered 615 9-1-1 calls about gunfire over New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway says officers will be in place throughout the city this year - looking to arrest anyone firing guns into the air.

Caraway: And we will be zero tolerance with an attitude of making sure that we cease the random gunfire. When it goes up, it has to come down somewhere. And someone's life could be at risk.

Last New Year's Eve a bullet crashed through the roof of a South Dallas mobile home and grazed the arm of a two year old girl. In spite of the number of calls, police only made one arrest last year for illegally discharging a weapon. The misdemeanor crime carries a maximum six months in jail and a two thousand dollar fine.

Last New Year's, Fort Worth police answered 164 calls about random gunfire.

Email BJ Austin