New Year’s gunfire will bring arrests, authorities warn

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Law enforcement officials in Los Angeles County are warning residents not to celebrate the arrival of the New Year by discharging firearms or they will risk being arrested for a felony crime.

A statement from the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station said a significant number of people in Los Angeles County and in the city of Los Angeles engage in the “extremely dangerous practice” of firing guns into the air as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve. But the practice would not be tolerated, officials said.

In an effort to promote awareness about the hazards of indiscriminate gunfire, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Los Angeles Police Department have embarked on an campaign to spread awareness throughout communities, the statement said.

The California penal code prohibits “negligent discharging of firearms” and offenders would be arrested for a felony crime and their firearms confiscated, authorities said.

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-- Ann M. Simmons in Santa Clarita