GOAL
In partnership with the Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), we support local multidisciplinary teams in their effort to prevent violent crimes involving guns. The National Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) is a collaborative effort between local, state, and federal agencies to improve the quality of investigations by making ballistic evidence more actionable and lead-generating. CGIC is ultimately used to identify prolific offenders and work with local and federal stakeholders to arrest and prosecute them.
WHY IT MATTERS
When the implementation of CGIC is paired with evidenced-based crime prevention and reduction strategies—such as focused deterrence and hot spot policing—communities work to decrease gun crimes. Agencies handling gun crime cases also see improvements in investigations, clearance rates, and prosecutorial outcomes. These centers serve as a tool for law enforcement to help connect one firearm to multiple crimes, making investigations and cases stronger for prosecution and ultimately creating safer communities.
OUR WORK
We provide training and technical assistance to jurisdictions that desire public safety and better outcomes. Through site assessments, the team develops practical guides based on analysis and insight from subject matter experts and provides training to participating and requesting sites. We also facilitate information-sharing forums, including roundtables and conferences, to advance successful CGIC implementation.
Our recommendations for successfully implementing a CGIC process include:
Consistently collect all ballistic evidence in cases involving firearms. All evidence is important, including in cases of nonfatal shootings and shots fired calls.
Use National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) and eTrace promptly and comprehensively to generate relevant leads.
Use intelligence analysis to add context to NIBIN information and provide investigators with actionable investigative leads for strong case development.
Establish dissemination and accountability mechanisms to ensure that each NIBIN lead is assigned and investigated.
Establish and maintain relationships between all criminal justice stakeholders to ensure there is a joint effort to identify and remove the most prolific shooters off the streets.
Coordinate state and federal prosecution efforts to ensure violent offenders are prosecuted effectively.
Provide feedback to all CGIC participants and engage the community through CGIC-specific outreach strategies.
OUR IMPACT
In 2023, we assisted in the implementation, growth, and advancement of CGICs across 44 jurisdictions nationwide.
WHAT'S NEXT
The CGIC initiative continues to grow and positively impact policing agencies and communities through crime reduction and safer neighborhoods. Eight new sites are on the horizon for 2024.