Miami police hope new technology reduces celebratory gunfire

Florida police use new technology to muzzle celebratory New Year gunfire

MIAMI -- Every year around this time, South Florida police and clergy make a public plea to end the reckless tradition of firing guns into the air when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve.

Like clockwork, the sound of gunfire blends in anyway amid the booming of firecrackers and bottle rockets, sometimes with tragic consequences.

The Bradenton Police Department issued its obligatory annual request Wednesday for partiers not to fire guns.

"The Bradenton Police Department would like to wish all of the residents of the city of Bradenton and Manatee County a safe and Happy New Year," read the press release attributed to Chief Mike Radzilowski. "New Year's Eve is a night to have fun and celebrate the coming year, however, safety is a must for everyone when they are participating in festivities.

"With this in mind, the Bradenton Police Department encourages families to celebrate the holiday responsibly and we urge revelers to refrain from celebratory gunfire as they ring in the New Year."

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office included public safety tips for those attending any of the public functions planned for the festive night.

Park in well-lit areas for your safety.

Have a preplanned meeting place in case you are separated from your group.

Be aware of your surroundings and avoid groups of people loitering in parking lots.

Make sure valuable items are not left in plain sight in a vehicle.

Have a cell phone available to call for help if needed.

Parents who plan to bring children to a crowded event should place an identification card in their pocket with the child's name and contact telephone numbers. Teach them to go to the nearest law enforcement officer if they become separated or to dial 911 (if the child has a cell phone).

Take a cell phone photo of your children when you arrive. This photo will help law enforcement locate your child if you become separated.

Anyone planning to attend a party should designate a sober driver ahead of time, keep the number of a local cab company handy or avoid alcohol altogether. Arrange ride-sharing with sober drivers and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving while impaired.

Celebratory gunfire is a tradition of long standing but its sometimes fatal results have grown intolerable in some South Florida areas.

Police in Miami Gardens, however, say "celebratory gunfire" is no longer quite so anonymous -- and nowhere near as common -- due to a relatively new system that tracks gunfire by its sound. Miami Gardens police are following the biggest party night of the year with home visits to sites where gunfire was detected to let shooters know that what they did was dangerous and illegal.

"We're going and knocking on doors and talking with citizens and sharing with them information about the dangers and deadly aspects of celebratory gunfire," Alfred Lewers Jr., assistant police chief of Miami Gardens, said during a Tuesday news conference at Miami police headquarters. "And we're having that same conversation with the people firing the guns, letting them know that we know they're firing them."

In Miami Gardens, which three years ago began using ShotSpotter to track and investigate shootings in a 4.5-square-mile area, police say New Year's Eve gunshots have dropped 80 percent since 2012. The department recorded about 150 shots with ShotSpotter that year. Last year, only 30 shootings were recorded during the 25 hours between 12:01 a.m. Dec. 31 and 1 a.m. New Year's Day, according to Lewers and ShotSpotter.

Lewers credits the technology and the department's awareness program. Firing a weapon into the air is a first-degree misdemeanor, according to Florida laws, but Lewers said the department focuses less on making celebratory gunfire arrests and more on awareness about the dangers of shooting into the air.

"We know they're not trying to commit a crime," he said.

South Florida has avoided tragedy in recent years. Five years ago, a 6-year-old Italian boy whose family was visiting South Florida was struck by a bullet that fell from the sky outside a Design District restaurant. Two years earlier, Miamian Corey Baker, a father of five, and Audley Ebanks, 69, of Plantation, were killed by stray bullets.

ShotSpotter isn't widely used in South Florida -- only Miami, Palm Beach County and Riviera Beach police join Miami Gardens in employing the system -- and critics have questioned the program's accuracy.

Miami Police Chief Rudy Llanes said Tuesday police are able to differentiate between the sounds of fireworks and gunplay while using ShotSpotter, which triangulates the location of gunfire through acoustics.

Llanes said his department is implementing Miami Gardens' program, and hopefully duplicating its success.

"We're going to mimic that, and see if we can have the same results," he said.

This story was originally published December 29, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Miami police hope new technology reduces celebratory gunfire ."