With the holidays approaching, law enforcement officers are warning about the dangers of celebratory gunfire. Officials want everyone to know that it's not only dangerous, it's also illegal.

"Last year, in 2010, there were over 588 calls for celebratory gunfire. That's 58 calls per hour, but more importantly, a call per minute," said Assistant Police Chief Don McKinney with the Houston Police Department.

Crime Stoppers, Houston Police and Houston City Council Member Brenda Stardig hosted the 9th Annual Anti-Celebratory Gunfire news conference at HPD's Spring Branch storefront.

"It's not OK. Lives are in danger. We need to stop the madness. Enough is enough," Stardig said.

"We want this holiday season to be festive. But what comes up must come down and there's no way to control where it comes down," said Katherine Cabaniss with Crime Stoppers.

Tragedy struck a Houston-area household in 1996. A father decided to celebrate by firing his gun and one of the bullets accidentally killed his 7-year-old daughter.

"Those bullets are falling fast enough to cause serious damage, not just to property but also to a person," Cabaniss said.

Celebratory gunfire is a Class A misdemeanor. A conviction can carry up to one year behind bars and up to a $4,000 fine.

Celebratory gunfire typically happens every New Year's Eve. 

Anyone with information about celebratory gunfire offenders is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or 911.