WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The West Palm Beach Police Department is getting ready for New Year's Eve.
Police Chief Sarah Mooney issued a strong warning about firing off a celebratory gunshot on the holiday.
She showed WPTV the new technology in place at the Real-Time Crime Center that will help officers respond quickly to emergencies.
The center, which recently became operational, will be fully staffed on New Year's Eve.
Police are turning to city cameras, dispatch systems, and Shot Spotter to be more proactive and reactive to crimes.
Shot Spotter detects gunfire in open space of the city using strategically placed microphones.
"It will tell you how many shots were fired," said Chief Mooney. "What kind of guns were used, not specifically but to a degree, where they know they are going into an incident where one round went off or 30 rounds went off."
Chief Mooney is sounding the alarm about celebratory gunshots on New Year's Eve.
Mooney said they can now track where the shots are coming from even quicker.
"This system allows us to detect whether it is gunshots as opposed to fireworks," Chief Mooney said.
Even though investigators now have all these new tools and technology, Chief Mooney said they still rely on tips from the public as well as witness information. Call police if you see anything suspicious on New Year's Eve.
