Dec 29, 2011

by Katie Marzullo
KGO-TV ABC7

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- If gunfire is part of your New Year's celebration plans, police plan to see you handcuffs. On the Peninsula at least two police agencies are preparing extra patrols and some critical technology to go along with a zero tolerance policy. In Redwood City, they call it Operation Silent Night. But it's about more than keeping the streets quiet on New Year's Eve, police are trying to keep the streets safe.

Microphones throughout Redwood City can capture the sound of gunfire and pinpoint its location, a tool that comes in handy on a holiday in which some people like to fire guns into the air. "Obviously anytime someone fires a gun in the air, those bullets have to come down, and they do come down in the same communities where those people are firing the weapons," said Redwood City Police Department Sgt. Ashley Osborne. It's dangerous and it's a felony and thanks to the ShotSpotter system, it's easier for police to find the shooters. "It gives real time information to our dispatch center about the location from where the gunfire is coming from and then we are able to use that to dispatch officers to investigate and follow up and if possible identify suspects and make arrests," said Osborne.

Celebratory gunfire was a much bigger problem in the early 1990s. But because of Operation Silent Night, which includes extra volunteer patrols, things are getting better. In 2010, Redwood City had 22 reported incidents. But even one is too many. "Simply, it's a dangerous practice and there's no reason for it," said Osborne.

Besides Redwood City and East Palo Alto -- Richmond, San Francisco, Oakland and East Palo Alto also use the ShotSpotter system. Some cities have set up hotlines you can call if you hear gunfire in your neighborhood.

The Redwood City Police Department has established a hot line for members of the public to report gunfire: 650-780-7639. In East Palo Alto, residents can call the police department at 650-321-1112 to report gunshots.