Baltimore Police Offer New Year's Eve Safety Tips
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It's the end of 2019, and Baltimore police are offering a number of tips to help residents and visitors alike ring in the new year safely.
Police will have extra officers -- both uniformed and undercover -- out and about Tuesday night and will be using city watch cameras to monitor the festivities.
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"If you are planning to be downtown tonight, we want you to have a plan," Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said at a news conference Tuesday morning.
Harrison said revelers should:
- Know their way to and from their destination and the route there
- Know where to park (find a well-lit spot and hide any valuables)
- Expect large crowds and some road closures near the Inner Harbor
- Use a ride-sharing program like Uber or Lyft or call a taxi if they've been drinking
Harrison also said open containers are not allowed on city streets or at the Inner Harbor. Celebratory gunfire is also illegal.
Police in Baltimore and across Maryland have increased patrols to help people get home safely and take drunk drivers off the road.
WJZ will be airing a New Year's Eve special beginning at 11 p.m. Catch the fireworks on-air and streaming on WJZ.com.
