Building Success Stories
Law enforcement agencies, ATF, and state and federal prosecutors should compile examples of cases resulting in violent offenders being investigated, arrested, and prosecuted based on NIBIN leads. This feedback informs the agency, leadership, and community about the work being done to combat gun violence. These successes should be distributed to all CGIC participants. Many local CGICs make a one-page success storyboard for successful NIBIN cases, highlighting the link from the shooting incident to the arrest of the suspect(s).
Success stories should be shared with each participating agency’s executive leadership and public information officers (PIOs). Sharing successes with executive leadership emphasizes the significance of the CGIC’s work and can assist in securing continued program support. A redacted version of these successes may also be communicated to community partners to foster support for the initiative and the participating agencies. Gaining support from executive leaders and the community can ensure the program’s sustainability by fostering a culture and expectations around solving violent gun crime.
Storyboards
Storyboards are a way to visualize a successful NIBIN case, especially cases that involve multiple leads and/or suspects. The storyboard highlights all the linked events and investigative work conducted. Storyboards have been displayed around NIBIN terminals or CGIC units to show agency members the impact of CGIC cases. These boards could help inspire more people to get involved and participate in the CGIC. ATF field divisions and the BrassTrax machines manufacturer can work with agencies to create storyboards.
This case involved a retaliatory shooting that resulted in a 3-year-old child being shot. With the help of NIBIN, linking multiple guns to the suspects, MPD made 10 arrests and filed 23 felony charges against them. The storyboard for this case was displayed in the lobby of the district station where the shootings occurred. This allowed MPD to showcase their success in solving the case and demonstrated to other officers how it was solved, so they might apply that knowledge in future investigations. It also gave the public a sense of closure to a high-profile case they remember affecting their neighborhood.
Kevin Armbruster
(Ret.),Lieutenant, Milwaukee Police Department