Bridgeport police said Thursday they're cracking down on the random firing of handguns in the city as part of an effort to reduce violent crime.

Police say the crackdown is one of the goals laid out by Mayor Joe Ganim's Violent Crime Reduction Task Force.

Investigators say in the first three months of 2016 there has been a 50 percent decrease in the number of reported cases of random gunshots fired in the city, when compared to the same period last year.

Police say several people called 911 to report a man randomly firing gunshots into the air around 7 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Norman Street and Benham Avenue. Police say they arrested 27-year-old Robert Williams in connection with the incident and seized an illegal .22-caliber handgun that they found in his pocket. Investigators say the man's bond was set at $75,000 and he is due back in court next month.