BJA

Memphis is plagued by gun violence. While the number of violent offenses in 2017 was 7.8% higher than in 2016, the number of violent gun offenses was 13.1% higher. During the first 3 months of 2018, violent offenses were 5.8% lower than during the same time in 2017, but violent gun offenses remained about the same. Most importantly, the proportion of violent crime committed with a firearm increased from 46.1% in 2016 to 48.4% in 2017. Comparing the proportion of violent crime committed with a firearm during the first quarter of 2018 to the same period in 2014, 2105, 2016, and 2017, it is at its highest level. In January-March 2018, 47.8% of all violent offenses were committed with a firearm, compared to 45.1% in 2017, 47.7% in 2016, 45.2% in 2015, and 45.5% in 2014.
Although existing entities and relationships have had measurable successes, Memphis still has a problem with gun violence. Having a CGIC on-site will strengthen these relationships, deepen collaborations, provide the opportunity to train officers on the importance of ballistics evidence, provide the opportunity to improve the analysis and use of ballistics data, provide the opportunity to integrate data from existing gun violence reduction programs, and dramatically improve the efficiency and effectiveness of all ongoing efforts in Memphis to reduce violent gun crime.

Point of Contact:
Major Darren M. Goods
MGU Operations Commander
3657 Old Getwell Road
Memphis, TN. 38118
Memphis Police Department
Main: (901) 395-6639
darren.goods@memphistn.gov

The City of Miami is a dense urban area of nearly 36 square miles with a population of 470,911. Approximately 32.3% of Miami families with children under the age of 18 live below the poverty level compared to 16.4% nationally (2010 US Census). As the largest municipality in the county and the second-largest city in the state of Florida, Miami experiences a chronically high level of crime, particularly gun violence. In response to Miami’s widespread gun violence, Miami Police Department implemented a NIBIN program and formed the Crime Gun Intelligence Detail in September 2019.

To enhance their gun violence reduction efforts, Miami’s goals under the grant funding are to: 1) implement a comprehensive digital evidence platform, 2) improve information sharing processes between CGIC stakeholders, 3) provide additional training to CGIC detail members, 4) prioritize investigative resources to focus on the most violent and prolific offenders, and 5) improve their low clearance rate for non-fatal shootings.

Point of Contact:
Sergeant Fabio Sanchez
Crime Gun Intelligence Detail
6266@miami-police.org

The city of Milwaukee has historically been afflicted with high levels of firearm violence, fed by a steady source of firearms from commercial retailers, gun shows, stolen firearms, and internet based selling platforms. Milwaukee suffered a 42% increase in total violent crime between 2011 and 2015, and has the second highest violent crime rate per 100,000 U.S. residents. In order to combat firearm violence, the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) implemented the ShotSpotter gunshot location system, as well as embedded the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network within their Intelligence Fusion Center. In 2014, the MPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) entered into a collaborative effort to reduce gun violence through the creation of a Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC).

Despite MPD’s significant efforts and progress towards implementing the ATF Governing Board’s CGIC model, more is needed to improve system deficiencies, increase operational capacity by NIBIN/CGIC focused personnel, and provide enhanced real-time comprehensive NIBIN leads to the Milwaukee CGIC Task Force, MPD personnel, and other partners. To this end, the Milwaukee CGIC Initiative will focus on personnel expansion, improving program infrastructure, overtime, crime analyst training, and community outreach focused deterrence programs, with the assistance of multiple partners. Collaboration among different agencies is key in this initiative, and partners include the ATF, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. Research partners include the Police Foundation and George Mason University’s Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy’s Dr. Christopher Koper, and these partners will work with CGICs to obtain data for effective performance measurement.

Point of Contact:
Lieutenant Patrick E. Fortune
Milwaukee Police Department
Intelligence Fusion Center
749 West State Street
Milwaukee, WI 53233
414-935-1200 (Office)
pfortu@milwaukee.gov

For its population size of 33,908, the City of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has an inordinately high crime index compared to the national average. The city limits are roughly 10 miles long and 3 miles wide (23.7 square miles or 15,167 acres), with 10 miles of coastline beaches being the central attraction for tourism.  The permanent population is 33,908 for Myrtle Beach, but each year, millions of tourists visit the city to enjoy various entertainment activities.  The average daily population has been estimated to be in excess of 105,000. One of Myrtle Beach’s most pressing crime problems is gun-related violence. The number of shooting incidents committed has remained high (87 in 2017, 147 in 2018, and 118 in 2019), and MBPD’s gun seizures have remained steady each year (2017 - 333, 2018 - 420, 2019 - 380).

MBPD’s goals under the CGIC grant are as follows:

• Create a Major Crime and Intelligence Unit (MCIU) dedicated to using gun crime evidence through ballistics and forensic examinations to solve crimes.
• Acquire IBIS workstations to enable in-house NIBIN entries to improve the timeliness of leads.
• Serve as a regional resource for NIBIN submissions to improve the timeliness of leads and enhance cross-jurisdictional investigations.

Point of Contact:
Assistant Chief Marty Brown
mbrown@cityofmyrtlebeach.com

The City of New Haven has a population of 131,181. In 2019, the New Haven Police Department (NHPD) saw a precipitous increase in firearm-related crime. Gun arrests increased by 9% over 2018, and calls for service regarding gunfire increased 17% from 591 to 689. This spike follows a 36% decrease in violent crime from 2011 to 2018. UCR data show that New Haven experienced a 56% increase in the number of victims assaulted with firearms – 78 in 2019 versus 50 in 2018 (in 2017 there were 61, and 67 in 2016). During the same period, there was also a 19% increase in robberies with firearms, and confirmed shots fired increased by 49.5%, from 101 (2018) to 151 (2019).

Through a grant under BJA’s Local CGIC Integration Initiative, the NHPD seeks to:

• Support and sustain the weekly violent crime meetings of the Daily Intelligence Group at the Elm City Intelligence Center through overtime funding.
• Acquire and implement technology, such as Vigilant and i2, to enhance investigative and crime analysis capabilities.
• Provide comprehensive training to investigators and CGIC stakeholders, including non-governmental entities, on violent crime prevention strategies.
• Explore the expansion of gunshot detection technology into additional areas plagued by gun violence.

Point of Contact:
Assistant Chief Karl Jacobson
Investigative Services Division
kjacobson@newhavenct.gov

The City of Oakland has a proven track record of success when addressing violent gun crime in a concerted way. With the launch of Ceasefire in 2012, the homicide rate fell over 50 percent from 2012-2018 (Appendix 4: Problem Analysis, public excerpt, Barao and Braga). From the latest FBI UCR data available in 2019, the City of Oakland’s crime rate in California was third compared to all cities of populations greater than 100,000. Unfortunately, like many jurisdictions across the country, violent gun crime rose significantly during the pandemic in the time period after the latest available FBI statistics and continues as a scourge. For example, in 2021 compared to 2019, Assault with a Deadly Weapon experienced a 109% increase, Shooting at Inhabited Dwelling rose 119% and Shootings at unoccupied vehicles increased 125%. The most disconcerting to our agency and community is that homicides rose 65% in the same time period. In an environment where resources are scarce, the City of Oakland argues that a CGIC expansion grant awarded to the Oakland Police Department (OPD) will be successful due to its track record in launching inventive initiatives such as Ceasefire (cited in Thomas Abt’s book “Bleeding Out: The devastating consequences of urban violence—and a bold new plan for peace in the streets.”), providing timely laboratory-generated investigative leads which outpaces other California laboratories (top number of acquisitions in the state) and OPD’s current participation in an active CGIC (letter of support from ATF’s Special Agent in Charge). Success will be launched in the following ways and measured through the collection of year-to-year comparative statistics: (1) improvement of capacity to analyze firearm evidence by hiring a Forensic Technician, (2) upgrade forensic technology, work- and meeting-spaces, (3) engage with academics to assist with research and metric collection and social network analysis to gain further insight to Oakland’s crime rings and to assist with onboarding a Crime Analyst for CGIC, and (4) deepen and formalize our already well-established Ceasefire partnerships with the local Probation, Parole, other local law enforcement, Federal partners, as well as the Department of Violence Prevention, local community- and faith-based organizations that support victims of crime, OPD’s Criminal Investigation Division and ATF by hosting quarterly meetings. OPD has prepared a Program Narrative in support of the current state of violent gun crime in Oakland, a plan for how to address it and optimism for success were the grant awarded.

Palm Beach County (PBC) is home to an estimated 1.47 million residents and 8 million tourist visitors each year. PBC is an exceptionally diverse community, home to areas of unparalleled wealth juxtaposed by areas of abject poverty and disproportionate rates of violent crime. Socioeconomically depressed areas are home to a significant gang presence, with over 30 gangs identified as operating within PBC communities. Additionally, PBC is home to one of the highest numbers of suspected human trafficking cases in the country, and the county is inundated with illicit drugs. From 2017 – 2019, firearms were used in 49.6% of all homicides, robberies and aggravated assaults, and when examining only homicides, the rate of firearm use jumps to 82.59%, significantly higher than national rate of 72.6%. Moreover, there is a significant volume of nonfatal shootings each year, many of which result in gang-related retaliatory violence.

With BJA grant funding, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office seeks to:

• Establish a collaborative PBC CGIC for strategic coordination and utilization of intelligence, technology, and community engagement to swiftly identify crime guns, their sources, and effectively prosecute perpetrators.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the CGIC.
• Provide comprehensive training for CGIC stakeholders to more effectively investigate and prosecute gun crimes.
• Increase the capacity of local prosecutors to track and support CGIC cases.

Point of Contact:
Sergeant Rick McAfee
Violent Crimes Unit
mcafeer@pbso.org

The Paterson Police Department (PPD) directly protects and serves the third-largest city in New Jersey. Founded in 1792 and designed as the nation’s first industrial hub, the City of Paterson is now home to nearly 150,000 residents. Today, the vast majority suffer from blighted neighborhoods, gun crime, violent crime, street-level narcotics distribution, cyclical/multi-generational poverty, open-air drug markets, gang activity, and a crumbling infrastructure. After New York City, Paterson is the second-most densely populated large city in the nation. Paterson is home to eight federally designated Opportunity Zones and its overall poverty rate is 28.1%. In fact, 82% of Paterson’s census tracts have a poverty level exceeding 20% and 30% of its tracts have a poverty level exceeding 40%, the highest of which reaches 58.99% (US Census 2018 5-year Estimates and FFIEC Statistics). Between 2019 and 2020, Paterson experienced a precipitous increase in gun crimes, specifically: a 93% increase in fatal shootings and a 32% increase in non-fatal shootings.

Regarding geographic impact, the Paterson CGIC would be the first in the State of New Jersey. This will assure that the Paterson CGIC is poised to provide new insights into crime gun violence and analytics in our region of the nation.

Point of Contact:
Lieutenant Anthony Hyatt
Special Investigations Bureau - Ceasefire Unit
ahyatt@patersonpd.com

The City of Phoenix has experienced a significant increase in violent crime over the past few years. Many of these violent crimes have resulted in homicides, aggravated assaults and robberies which generally have a firearm nexus. In order to address violent gun crime, the Phoenix Police Department (PPD) has worked closely with other agencies in the Phoenix area and has developed the Phoenix Metro NIBIN Program. This program incorporates 26 different agencies from around the state that enter their shell casing information into the PPD-based system. This collaborative approach facilitates cross-jurisdictional investigations of gun-related crimes and has been an extremely successful and productive program for all participating agencies. In order to enhance this and other existing strategies and to develop new gun crime reduction strategies, the Phoenix Police Department (PPD) and partners will establish a Phoenix Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC).

The PPD will utilize the ATF Governing Board’s CGIC best practices by developing a workflow process/ investigative process that includes patrol, NIBIN, case detectives, the PPD Gun Squad and ATF operational manpower. In developing the CGIC, the PPD will form an Executive Steering Committee that will involve a broad collaboration that includes partners from the Phoenix Metro NIBIN program, county and federal prosecutors, community organizations, ATF subject matter experts and a research partner from the Arizona State University. These partners will develop processes and make them into protocols and policies to support the CGIC operations.

Point of Contact:
Mark Heimall
Lieutenant – Violent Crimes Bureau / Crime Gun Intelligence Unit
Phoenix Police Department
Phone: 602-534-5925
mark.heimall@phoenix.gov

Pinal County has seen a significant increase in population growth and is the third largest county in Arizona with a current growth rate of 1.14% and a 17.12% growth rate since 2010. The Pinal County community has experienced a precipitous increase in firearm related violent crime over the past three years. The Pinal County Gun Crime Reduction Program aims to reduce gun crime violence and make communities not only in Pinal County, but all over the state of Arizona safer. Making communities safer will be achieved by obtaining a NIBIN terminal and creating a Gun Crime Task Force to investigate all firearms related violent crime.

The purpose of creating a Gun Crime Task Force will be the immediate collection, management and analysis of crime gun evidence such as shell casings and test fires of unlawfully used firearms recovered in real-time, to identify criminal shooters, disrupt criminal activity and prevent future violence. The information gathered by using the NIBIN terminal can then be shared in real time with agencies throughout Pinal County and the State of Arizona.  By sharing information in real time, this will help to identify suspects and prevent future crimes by those suspects.

Upon obtaining the NIBIN Terminal, the NIBIN terminal would be housed at the Casa Grande Police Department which is centrally located in Pinal County. Several of the larger Pinal County Law Enforcement agencies will be responsible for having a trained NIBIN technician to process their firearms related evidence. Furthermore, the terminal would be available not to just agencies in Pinal County, but to any local, state or federal agency upon request.

Obtaining a NIBIN terminal will benefit not only the citizens of Pinal County by reducing violent gun crime, it will benefit law enforcement agencies with the sharing of information and the ability to link crimes in different jurisdictions. This in turn will assist with successful prosecution and longer prison sentences for violent offenders.

The Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Charlotte Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), plans to create and establish a Crime Gun Intelligence Center in Pitt County, North Carolina, as there is not one in current proximity. The purpose of the Pitt County Crime Gun Intelligence Center (PCCGIC) will be to utilize intelligence, technology, and community engagement to swiftly identify unlawfully used firearms and their sources, and effectively prosecute perpetrators engaged in violent crime. Pitt County will do this by acquiring equipment for NIBIN, the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, in its state-of-the-art ANSI nationally accredited laboratory.

Puerto Rico is one of the homicide capitals of the United States, suffering the consequences of a flood of illegal firearms imported from the continental United States via the mail and then modified on the island into machineguns.  Murder scenes can have hundreds of shell casings.  The tracing of illegal guns both (1) between crime scenes, and (2) from illegal gun traffickers is critical to reducing Puerto Rico’s surge in violent crime.

NIBIN and eTrace should be a cornerstone of that system, but the timeframe between evidence submission and NIBIN lead generation is currently measured in months, not days.  A primary goal of this proposal by Puerto Rico’s Institute of Forensic Sciences is to reduce the turn-around time from evidence submission to NIBIN lead notifications from 62 days to 24-48 hours.  Specifically, the funding would be used for the following: (1) to pay for the hiring and training of technicians at the Puerto Rico Institute of Forensic Sciences to enter shell casings into NIBIN and to perform test fires, (2) to fund a special local prosecutor in one of the most violent municipalities who would focus on prosecuting firearm cases and tracking NIBIN-generated prosecutions, (3) to fund equipment, such as an automated imaging triage device that would allow immediate scanning of ballistics evidence in order to: (a) compare cartridge cases, (b) calculate the minimum number of firearms involved, and (c) identify the best cartridge cases to submit to NIBIN.

The Twin Cities Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) is led by the ATF St. Paul Field Division. Through strategic law enforcement, the Twin Cities CGIC focuses investigative resources on the people in the community committing the most serious and repeated acts of violence. Strengthened forensic evidence practices enable CGIC to link crimes, providing an opportunity to prevent retaliatory crimes.
While the Twin Cities CGIC is focused on gun violence across the region, the City of Saint Paul and key neighborhoods suffer disproportionately from violent crime. The Saint Paul Police Department (SPPD) is enhancing its evidence management practices and investing in gun detection software to ensure rapid processing and dissemination of gun crime evidence. The Twin Cities CGIC currently includes participation of key law enforcement partners including the ATF, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and SPPD. MPD and SPPD are the two largest law enforcement agencies in Minnesota, representing the inner core jurisdictions of the Twin Cities. There are highly active prosecutorial agencies supporting the work of the CGIC, with SPPD and the east metro primarily working with the USAO and the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office (RCAO).
SPPD works with its local prosecutorial partner, the RCAO, -to enforce accountability through a data-driven response. SPPD is committed to and has implemented several essential elements of the CGIC model, comprehensive collection of evidence, timely processing, lead notification, prioritization of leads, and investigative follow-up. SPPD is fully committed to using the NIBIN system.

Point of Contact:
Carol Gronfor
Grants Manager
St. Paul Police Department
Phone: (651) 266-5544
carol.gronfor@ci.st.paul.mn.us

The City of St. Petersburg is submitting this proposal to create a Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) Initiative.  A CGIC is the next step in interagency collaboration with immediate collection, management, and analysis of crime gun evidence to identify suspects who are involved firearm violence, disrupt criminal activity, and prevent future violence. St. Petersburg Police Department (SPPD) will lead this project with local law enforcement partners. SPPD is uniquely qualified to lead due to its longstanding partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and significant use of National Integrated Ballistics Information Network/Integrated Ballistics Information System (NIBIN/IBIS).

In half of San Francisco’s ten police districts, 80% or more of homicides were by firearm, exceeding the national average of 68%. Gun violence is geographically concentrated in San Francisco, with just three police districts (Mission, Ingleside, and Bayview) accounting for more than 50% of all firearm homicides, and more than 60% of all crimes involving a firearm. The CGIC approach is ideal for addressing the regional, interconnected nature of firearms crime in San Francisco, and identifying, investigating, and prosecuting gun crime drivers to sustainably reduce gun violence. San Francisco proposes the implementation of CGIC practices and core principals citywide, building upon a close collaboration of the SFPD Investigations Division and District Attorney George Gascón’s Crime Strategies Unit (CSU), and emphasizing advanced strategic data analysis to address serial gun offenders and gun violence crime drivers.

Point of Contact:
Commander Greg McEachern
Bureau of Investigations

The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office seeks to expand on an existing Crime Gun Intelligence Program by adding skilled analytic staff and essential equipment to more quickly analyze and investigate shooting cases. In 2017 the County’s Crime Laboratory hired four criminalists to process guns and expended casings and input them into IBIS/NIBIN. As hoped, this generated a huge amount of NIBIN leads, requiring the County to triage the cases to determine what can be done to quickly identify shooters and file a criminal case. After initial success in building the foundation for a Crime Gun Intelligence Program, there is still a major problem addressing increased volume without additional resources. This grant proposal seeks to close critical gaps in processing shell casings and triaging leads. To successfully continue this NIBIN program, the County needs analysts to identify and link cases, coordinate with assigned investigators and get cases to a prosecution stage. Through a close partnership with the ATF, this program has successfully changed the way business is done in Santa Clara County. Led by the DA Office’s Crime Strategies Unit, in partnership with all fourteen agencies in the County, all eligible firearms and casings are quickly and universally entered into NIBIN. This was a major task. The program needs analysts to triage and follow-up on newly linked cases and an additional Matchpoint terminal to assist in faster processing of casings. Having worked for several years to build critical partnerships, lay the infrastructure and embrace the national CGIC model, this grant seeks funding to sustain this program to meet the demand of dramatically increasing gun crime, shootings and gun recoveries with additional equipment and staff. Moreover, this program seeks to benefit from the wisdom and oversight of BJA and the team of experts that would help facilitate this grant award.

The Stockton Crime Gun Intelligence Center (SCGIC) will bring together local law enforcement, local and state prosecutors, and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) partners to address the precipitous increase in firearm non-fatal incidents and homicides occurring over the last several months. Although gun violence in Stockton, CA is a historic trend, recent efforts, including the implementation of Ceasefire, have brought the long-term trend line down. Significant reductions in homicides from the 2012 high have also occurred, however, more collaboration is needed to further reduce and sustain the prevalence of gun violence. Stockton’s rate of violent crime remains four times above the national average. This grant will support Stockton’s efforts to formalize the interagency partnerships and infrastructure to ensure effective implementation of the seven essential elements of a CGIC. Once established, the SCGIC will work to prevent violent crime by linking guns to persons and crimes committed, completing thorough investigations and prosecuting offenders. These investigations and ultimate prosecutions will disrupt the systemic violence occurring in Stockton and support the intelligence led policing efforts currently in place. Specific grant deliverables include: revising policies and procedures to ensure timely entry of ballistic evidence into the national correlation center database; establishing a protocol for following up on investigative leads generated from ballistic links and evidence; sharing of intelligence gathered both on the street during investigations, and in the lab reviewing evidence with CGIC partners; promoting collaborative working group partnerships by tracking CGIC cases and discussing outcomes, and formalizing the working partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding to sustain the SCGIC for years to come.

Narcotic and gang related firearm violence is an ongoing problem in the City of Tampa. Even though Tampa has made significant progress in reducing violent crime, there are still persistent ‘micro-spot’ locations that disproportionally experience gun violence. Based on preliminary UCR statistics, there has been a 35% increase in firearm related offenses between 2018 and 2019 in a three-square mile area in the eastern section of the city. The majority of these incidents were directly related to a significant increase in narcotic activity, which is attributed to the opioid crisis, price reductions in heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and the return of open-air drug markets. There is also significant correlation between these illicit narcotics sales and violent gang activity. Narcotic and gang violence poses an ongoing and significant problem for some areas in Tampa with consequences that spill over into surrounding jurisdictions.

Through this project, Tampa Police Department aims to achieve the following:
Objective 1. Reduce firearm crimes and gang violence by 5-10% over a three-year period through CGIC driven investigations.
Objective 2. Increase the number of successful prosecutions of Violent Impact Players through increased coordination with both local and federal prosecutors.
Objective 3. Increase and improve the use of data through the CGIC partnership to monitor trends and patterns in gun and gang crime within violent hot spots.

Point of Contact:
Paul Lusczynski
Police Captain -Violent Crime Bureau
411 N. Franklin Street
Tampa, FL 33602
813-276-3355
Paul.lusczynski@tampagov.net

Toledo, Ohio, was selected as a site for the U.S. DOJ’s National Public Safety Partnership Program (PSP) in 2017 due to the city’s high violent crime rate (VCR). Between 2014 and 2018, PSP found Toledo’s average VCR was nearly 200% above the national average and 47% above U.S. cities with populations between 250,000 and 499,000. Much of the violent crime was found to be gun related, which made implementation of a Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) one of the top goals in Toledo’s PSP Strategic Plan. In July 2018, with the help of ATF, the Toledo Police Department (TPD) received a BrassTRAX system to enable the agency to process its own NIBIN entries (in addition to some surrounding agencies). One year later, the department implemented gunshot detection technology to cover 4 square miles of the most violent areas in Toledo.

Under the FY2020 CGIC grant funding, TPD’s goals are to: 1) Enhance current CGIC processes and partnerships, 2) add a full-time, dedicated NIBIN technician to the CGIC task force to manage acquisitions and correlations, 3) add a full-time analyst to the CGIC task force to support intelligence analysis and NESS data management, and 4) develop a case management system to support NIBIN case assignment and investigation.

Point of Contact:
Deputy Chief David Mueller
Investigative Services Division
David.Mueller@toledo.oh.gov

Tucson Police Department (TPD) is pursuing the FY23 CGIC Grant to expand and enhance its current gun crime intelligence program, which is the only active NIBIN center in southern Arizona. The TPD currently processes crime guns and casings from 20 agencies located all over southern Arizona and even in New Mexico. The region, and Tucson in particular, has seen a dramatic gun violence spike in the previous five years, disproportionally affecting minority communities. In response, TPD has implemented an aggressive and holistic violence reduction strategy. The TPD restructured investigative units, technological systems and partnerships in order to focus on data driven intelligence that are in keeping with CGIC best practices.

The City of Tulsa has been ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in the United States. In January of 2018, CBS News published a list based on data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association Violent Crimes Survey that placed Tulsa at 12th among 61 U.S. urban centers with the highest murder rates per capita. While rankings are often debated, they reflect an urgent need to improve efforts to reduce violent crime in the community.

The upward trend in violent gun crime emphasizes the need to change current processes to improve effectiveness in reducing violent crime. Short-term task forces were used to address violent crime within the city limits, but long-term and broader approaches are needed. The Tulsa Police Department is committed to adopting modern strategies that address crime trends and technology advancements.

Point of Contact:
Tara Brians
Laboratory Director
City of Tulsa PD Forensic Laboratory

The Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office (VCPO) is seeking to create a new Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC), supported by a nearby NIBIN site, for the purpose of combating a precipitous increase in violent crime and gun-related crime in recent years.

Vanderburgh County, Indiana is located in the southwestern portion of the state with a population of 180,136. The county seat is Evansville, the third most populous city in Indiana. From 2018 to 2021, Evansville experienced an 81.6% increase in non-fatal shootings and a 50% increase in total homicides, with an incredible 160% increase in gun homicides. Other firearm statistics also support an alarming escalation in gun-related violence; from 2019 to 2022, shots fired runs climbed from 686 to 740, and firearms recovered rose from 531 to 577. Similar trends can be seen in neighboring counties in the Southwestern Indiana region.

Over the past two years, Washington, DC has experienced an increase in the proportion of gun-related violent crime.* Between 2014 and 2015, homicides in the city increased by 54 percent. While the number of homicides declined in 2016 when compared to 2015, the proportion of gun-related homicides continues to rise. In 2014, firearm-related homicides comprised 69 percent of all homicides and in 2015, 76 percent of all homicides were associated with guns. That number increased to 78 percent in 2016. These gun crimes are concentrated in several neighborhoods in the District, impeding development in these areas even while other parts of the city experience an economic boom.

A major contributing factor to gun crime in Washington, DC is the availability of guns in surrounding jurisdictions. An ATF report on firearms recovered and traced in Washington, DC shows that in 2014, more than 50 percent of guns recovered in the District with known source states were traced back to Maryland or Virginia.** Less than five percent of guns recovered in Washington, DC originated in the District.

Under the Washington, DC Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) Initiative, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) will work closely with local and federal partners, including the DC Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS), the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and surrounding jurisdictions to target and reduce gun crime. CGIC partner agencies will work to:

1. Ensure the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) and eTrace databases contain comprehensive data;
2. Coordinate investigations that span jurisdictional boundaries;
3. Mitigate intelligence gaps among agencies; and
4. Facilitate violent crime investigations and prosecutions, among other objectives.

To achieve these objectives, executive partners, including senior managers from the MPD, DFS, USAO, and ATF, will meet to discuss the status of NIBIN and CGIC operations and end user needs on a quarterly basis. Tactical team partners, including ATF and MPD enforcement groups, will conduct the daily operations of the CGIC. Research partners will coordinate with CGIC analysts to obtain the appropriate data for effective performance measurement. MPD serves as the lead agency for the CGIC initiative, with continued support from the ATF, DFS, PGPD, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), and USAO.

*Violent crime is defined as homicide, assault with a dangerous weapon (ADWs), and robbery.
**Source: https://www.atf.gov/about/docs/report/district-columbia-firearms-trace-data-%E2%80%93-2014/download

Point of Contact:
Heidi Fieselmann
Executive Office of the Chief of Police
Metropolitan Police Department
Main: (202) 727-9318
heidi.fieselmann@dc.gov

The Wichita (KS) Police Department (WPD) is the primary law enforcement provider for the City of Wichita (COW). Over the past five years, the COW has experienced precipitous increases in gun-related violence. The rising trend in violent gun crime emphasizes the need to change current processes to improve effectiveness in reducing violent crime. Recognizing the need for change, the WPD has been proactively implementing new policies and procedures to combat violent crime. These initiatives have included new advances in gunshot detection technology and a public safety initiative for Operation Save-A-Casing, where citizens of Wichita are encouraged to save two (2) spent firearm casings from their firearm. If their firearm is ever stolen, the citizen is encouraged to turn over their casings to law enforcement to be analyzed within the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).

The Wichita Crime Gun Intelligence Center (WCGIC) Task Force coordinated by the WPD will involve several significant partners to include federal, state, and local entities. In addition to the core task force members, the Task Force has commitments from other federal, state, local agencies to include FBI, DEA, probation and parole, social service providers, and community groups. WPD will take necessary actions to expand its Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) efforts. Continuous monitoring and statistical analysis will be made to solidify the program through changes to WCGIC policies, procedures, and operations. WPD will continue to build upon current partnerships and coordination with state and federal prosecutors.

Point of Contact:
Clay Germany
Captain
Wichita Police Department
Phone: (316) 268-4407
cgermany@wichita.gov

The Wilmington Police Department (WPD), and the Delaware Department of Justice (DOJ) are seeking funding from Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to assist with the expansion of its existing Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC). Funding would provide WPD the ability to enhance officer safety; address illegal firearm-related crime; and utilize intelligence, technology, and community engagement to swiftly identify crime guns, their sources, and effectively prosecute perpetrators in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This grant will assist the Wilmington Police Department who has collaborated to enhance their already existing CGIF Certified Forensic Firearms Crime Laboratories to benefit residents of DE.

Grant funds will enhance the WPD Laboratory by funding a contractual Firearms Examiner. This will allow WPD to continue to provide a full-service Forensic Firearms Crime Laboratory with the capabilities of evidence entries, examinations, tool mark analysis, serial number restoration and casing/ballistic matches statewide for law enforcement agencies. WPD has a fully operational firearms lab, with the exception of a firearms examiner. WPD has been a CGIC certified Forensic Firearms Crime Laboratory for several years, entered into a MOU with ATF, and meets the CGIC business practices.

Grant funds will also be used to purchase forensic microscopes needed for forensic examinations of projectiles and or shell casings to confirm ballistic matches. This will enhance the WPD Laboratory to become a full-service Forensic Firearms Crime Laboratory with evidence entries, serial number restoration, examinations and ballistic matches; subsequently bolstering investigations and prosecutions of violent firearm crime. DE DOJ will use grant funds to oversee the creation and implementation of a Gun Reporting and Tracking System using the existing statewide police incident reporting system, LEISS.

Goals for the project are: 1. Develop analytical support to improve police response to gunshots fired utilizing report management systems (RMS), eTrace, and other technology; 2. Become even more efficient and continue to grow in learning and adopt national best practices to avoid any backlogged evidence; 3. Decrease turnaround time for processing evidence; 4. Hire one (1) firearms examiner and purchase equipment within 90 days; 5. Complete a final analysis report.

The City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the fourth largest city in the state and is located in the heart of West Central North Carolina. The City has a growing population of over 240,000 residents living in 133 square miles of Forsyth County.The City is home to seven local colleges and universities including Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem State University, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD) is the primarylaw enforcement agency in the area, with an allocation of560sworn officers and 175non-sworn personnel to provide law enforcement services to this community. The agency delivers high-quality services to the citizens of the City through its long-standing foundational philosophy of Community-Oriented/Problem-Oriented Policing (COP/POP). The Winston-Salem Police Department is committed to addressing the precipitous increase in gunfire violence within the city through a comprehensive gun violence reduction strategy. Through the CGIC project, the first step in the strategy is the creation of a Violent Firearm Investigations Team (VFIT) consisting of members of the Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD), Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO), and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives (ATF). The second component in the gun violence reduction strategy involves the comprehensive and timely processing of all forensic evidence related to violent gunfire incidents. The third component to the gun violence reduction strategy proposes the implementation of a gunfire detection system (the focus of this grant application) within a 3-square mile area of the city as part of the overall strategy to address the precipitous increase of gunfire violence within the city.

Point of Contact:
John Leone
Lieutenant
Office of the Chief of Police
Winston Salem Police Department
jleone@wspd.org