Authorities Warn LA County Residents Against Firing Guns for New Year's

Authorities today warned Southlanders that a countywide law enforcement campaign is being conducted tonight to help reduce incidents of indiscriminate gunfire on New Year's Eve.

"The gunfire reduction campaign aims to advise the community that ringing in the new year with gunfire will not be tolerated in the city of Los Angeles and in the county of Los Angeles," sheriff's spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca and Los Angeles Police Department Cmdr. Justin Eisenberg held a mid-morning news conference to publicize the campaign.

The men said that they were distributing thousands of "Don't Shoot" flyers and posters. They also said that the sheriff's department is using a piece of advanced technology called the "Sharpshooter."

The device tells deputies can pinpoint gunfire within a few feet of where the shots were fired. This also tells deputies where the suspect is located.

The two asked people to "celebrate safely" and stop firing weapons senselessly into the air.     "Discharging a firearm into the air is punishable by one year in state prison," Nishida said. "Anyone arrested for discharging a firearm  will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."