HAPPY CAPTIVES – TRUST - WALK IN WEDNESDAY

Background:

The 2005 Annual Training Seminar of the Association of Firearms and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE) was held in Indianapolis, IN. Ms. Doreen Hudson, in her capacity as the Supervising Criminalist of the Firearm Analysis Unit (FAU) at the Los Angeles Police Department, gave a presentation at that seminar. [1]

Her presentation focused on the FAU’s adoption of Automated Ballistic Identification System (ABIS) technology. Its benefits, its impact, and in finding new ways to adapt the technology to maximize its substantial benefits and sustain them.

She viewed the networking of ABIS technology across crime labs and the consolidating of ballistic data as a windfall for crime labs nationwide. Moreover, the federal government funded the technology; of course, the resources needed to support these systems were sizeable and fell to the state and local agencies.

ABIS technology enables the correlation of fired evidence at speeds far beyond human capability, facilitates faster and more efficient data exchange, and empowers law enforcement to generate more actionable information than ever before, linking crimes, firearms, and suspects through ballistic evidence.

ABIS technology enables the screening of every new item of ballistic evidence against every other item in the inventory to identify actionable information of value.

Adopting technology is one thing - Adapting is another.

The adoption of ABIS technology significantly increased both the volume and type of cases submitted to the LAPD FAU. However, Ms. Hudson decided to adapt her work processes to fully leverage the benefits of the technology, which led to the discovery of new best practices, one of which marked a true paradigm shift.

In 1992, most of the cases were homicides and officer-involved shootings. The FAU received about 12 new cases each week and completed about 10; the case backlog hovered around 100 cases. The FAU was staffed with 8 firearm examiners and had no ABIS technology.

In 2004, the promise of ABIS technology to help search for connections between crimes, guns, and suspects drew not only homicide cases to the FAU for processing, but also cases involving assault, shots fired, and many other lesser crimes. The FAU received 130 new cases each week and completed about 100; the case backlog hovered around 2,000 cases. The FAU was staffed with 24 firearm examiners and was using ABIS technology.

Certain types and calibers of handguns were routinely routed to the LAPD FAU for examination and test-fire, at an average rate of 25-30 per day for an annual count of ~7,000 guns per year.

The FAU was being overwhelmed with evidence, causing processing and analysis delays. The danger posed by delays was that violence-prone gang members would remain undetected and unidentified for longer periods, free to re-offend and do more harm.

Something had to change within the FAU to keep up with the increased demand for services, reduce the backlog of evidence, and meet the needs of detectives for timely and actionable crime gun intelligence to advance their criminal cases.

In 2004, William Bratton, Chief of the LAPD, challenged all his staff to innovate and rethink their existing methods as part of the department’s COMPSTAT, a performance management system used by law enforcement agencies to reduce crime and improve police operations. It was Bratton, along with the late Jack Maples, who pioneered COMPSTAT at the New York Police Department in 1994.

I recently found Ms. Hudson’s presentation in my files. I view it as a case study in strategic thinking, demonstrating the practical application of a set of strategic management mindsets designed to help organizations become more efficient and effective in their missions.

Mapping processes – busting bottlenecks

Evidence processing bottlenecks can cause investigative delays. Delays in turn can mean that armed criminals remain unidentified and free to continue to prey upon communities and do more harm.

In true COMPSTAT fashion, Ms. Hudson’s first task was to collect accurate and timely facts about the performance of the procedures being followed by the FAU.

She discovered that the LAPD’s fingerprint processing backlog had been the cause of delays preventing the FAU from gaining access to firearm evidence for periods as long as three months! This dashed any hopes of adapting the new technology to generate real-time intelligence for detectives based on fingerprints or firearm links. Moreover, she learned that in a prior LAPD study, less than half a percent of superglue-fumed cartridge cases yielded identifiable prints, producing about the same success as when print powder was used.

Ms. Hudson and her team took steps to bust the fingerprinting bottleneck that was delaying the ABIS firearms processing. The FAU discontinued the fingerprinting of fired cartridge cases in calibers .22, .25, and .32, because their small surface areas make them unlikely to hold an identifiable print, thereby reducing the superglue case load by ~10,000 items per year.

For other calibers suitable for ABIS entry, an expedited service was established to dust the cartridge cases with print powder, allowing for fast direct access to ABIS for ballistic processing.

Five Strategic Management Mindsets

1. The Information Component - calls for shifting the focus away from the physical activity of a process and onto the informational value the process produces. For example, this principle emphasizes shifting attention away from the physical activity of a process—such as collecting, transporting, or handling evidence—and toward the informational value that process can generate. In the context of crime gun intelligence, this means prioritizing the data and insights that can be extracted and shared—such as links between shootings, suspects, and firearms—rather than simply completing forensic procedures for their own sake. When leveraged properly, the informational output becomes a powerful tool that accelerates investigations, guides resource deployment, and enhances public safety outcomes. Bottom line: The Tuba player focuses on the physical part of the music activity, while the conductor of the symphony focuses on the informational component of the music activity.

2. An Envelope of Services- This principle involves wrapping a core service in an “envelope” of complementary information or support, delivered at the precise moment it’s most valuable to the end user. Rather than offering a standalone product or result, the service is enhanced by contextual, actionable intelligence that supports the customer’s immediate goals. For example, in the context of forensic ballistics, it’s not just about delivering a correlation result—it’s about pairing that result with investigative context, a linkage chart, a map, timelines, and guidance for next steps, etc. By doing so, the service becomes far more impactful and usable. Detectives, for instance, receive not just data, but direction, helping them act faster and more effectively. Bottom line: We used to go to a gas station to fill up our cars. Now we can stop and shop for groceries, plus grab a red hot and a beer.

3. Partnerships & Alliances – You don’t have to go it alone. Strategic partnerships can help you do more—and do it faster. Ballistic data-sharing networks such as NIBIN have shown how powerful they can be in connecting crimes, guns, and suspects across widely separated jurisdictions. No single lab can see the whole picture, but together, agencies have built a clearer, more complete view of criminal activity. By connecting the right people and systems, they’ve generated faster leads, reduced blind spots, and built stronger cases. The results speak for themselves. Bottom line: Do I need a bottom line with this one?

4. Create Happy Captives - focus on clients’ wants, needs, and desires. This mindset centers on truly understanding and serving your “customers”—in this case, LAPD detectives and investigators. By speeding up turnaround times, reducing evidence backlogs, and delivering tools detectives could use, the FAU became more than just a lab—it became a trusted partner. Detectives knew that when they went to the FAU, they’d get timely, actionable results. And because it helped them move cases forward, they walked in on Wednesdays. Bottom line: Give your clients what they ask for or they’ll get it somewhere else.

5. COMPSTAT (Computer Statistics) Based on four principles—accurate and timely intelligence, effective tactics, rapid deployment, and relentless follow-up—COMPSTAT helped reshape LAPD operations. FAU's transformation aligned closely with this approach. They used real-time intelligence, shifted resources, measured performance, and continually refined their processes—hallmarks of COMPSTAT’s data-driven, results-focused mindset. Bottom line: Make informed decisions for the right reasons and hold everyone accountable for doing what they agree to do.

As you read through the development of the following LAPD and ATF initiatives, think about the 5 strategic management mindsets that could apply and how you might use one or more of them to help your team think and act more strategically about your organization’s programs.

Walk-in-Wednesday (WIW)

To support the timely and strategic use of law enforcement resources in shooting-related investigations, the FAU launched the Walk-In Wednesday (WIW) program. Rooted in COMPSTAT principles—accurate and timely intelligence, effective tactics, rapid deployment, and relentless follow-up—WIW was designed to put actionable intelligence into detectives’ hands faster, by removing some of the tedious time-consuming steps required for transmitting evidence to the lab.

Before ABIS technology, most FAU cases involved homicides or officer-involved shootings. Intelligence from informants and witnesses was often inaccurate, and even when the FAU had accurate information, backlogs meant it wasn’t delivered in time to help ongoing investigations. Detectives—rightly frustrated—often blamed the delays on a lab that couldn’t keep up.

The introduction of ABIS fundamentally shifted the volume and nature of FAU submissions. Cases involving assaults, shots fired, and other firearm-related crimes started to flood in. This shift demanded a smarter, faster system—one that leveraged ABIS to rapidly search for potential matches, without the administrative drag of traditional casework.

Too much time was being lost to logistics: intercomparison requests, evidence delivery, and reporting on eliminations. Re-prioritizing case queues was time-consuming, and with LAPD covering 454 square miles, transferring evidence across the city often consumed the critical first 48 hours of an investigation, time detectives say is essential for solving homicides.

WIW cut through that bottleneck. By allowing investigators to bring evidence to the lab at scheduled times, FAU examiners could screen, image, and search ballistic evidence in the NIBIN database on the spot—often providing same-day feedback. Within 24 hours, most detectives had the preliminary results they needed to act fast, follow up leads, and build stronger cases. There were no lab transmittals to complete, no evidence intake reports, no inventories to be confirmed, and no chain of custody transfers.

The program has been highly effective—not only for LAPD but for other agencies that have since adopted the model. LAPD looked to the next evolution: working with property room staff to remove even more steps by eliminating the need for detectives to walk the evidence in.

While WIW is not ideal for bullet evidence, those cases continue to be processed through conventional workflows. But for cartridge cases, WIW has proven to be a game-changer.

TRUST: Tentative Results Using Scientific Technology

The LAPD’s Tentative Results Using Scientific Technology (TRUST) program gave detectives a powerful head start. It helped them to act quickly on probable firearm links identified through IBIS® correlation scores and examiner review. While clearly labeled as non-conclusive, detectives had new leads to pursue that might otherwise go cold.

For example, in one case, crime A involved a shooting during a robbery where the victim survived. Crime B involved two suspects arrested for illegal gun possession. TRUST indicated a potential connection between the two incidents. Using that preliminary information, investigators pursued other known facts. They showed the robbery victim a photo lineup, including the photos of the suspects arrested for illegal gun possession in crime B, and the victim positively identified one of the shooters. An arrest warrant was issued based on the identification. The ballistic evidence was never needed in court—the case was resolved through investigative work sparked by the tentative ballistics lead.

To ensure responsible use, FAU staff conducted ongoing training at Detective Squad meetings for four months, with reinforcement during every TRUST notification.

In more than 2,000 cases, only one misunderstanding occurred, where a tentative lead was mistakenly treated as a confirmed match. The lab was contacted for a comparison report, the error was discovered, and the matching evidence was quickly confirmed. The issue was resolved without harm to the case or the process.

Together, TRUST and WIW have become vital investigative tools for the LAPD in addressing high levels of gun-and gang-related violence. Detectives regularly credit these programs with breaking open cases that would otherwise remain unsolved. In many instances, the tentative link leads to a connected case with a named suspect or witness. A photo lineup results in a victim ID, and the case is filed, sometimes with the suspect pleading guilty before the lab completes formal confirmation.

By empowering detectives with timely, actionable intelligence, the TRUST program not only accelerated case resolution but also built trust between investigators and forensic professionals, turning scientific potential into prosecutorial success.

The TRUST Program proved an innovative concept that marked a pivotal first step in reimagining how ABIS technologies could be leveraged to deliver timely and trusted crime gun intelligence across a network like NIBIN.

To make that national paradigm shift a reality, the technology and the profession needed some time to mature—a progression that would take several more years.

In the meantime, IBIS® scientists, engineers, and technicians got to work.

ATF’s National NIBIN Correlation and Training Center (NNCTC)[2]

In 2016, as part of its NIBIN mission, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) established the National NIBIN Correlation and Training Center (NNCTC) in Huntsville, Alabama. The NNCTC was created to address two critical needs:

1. Providing expert correlation review services

2. Delivering specialized NIBIN training to federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement partners.

Why It Matters

Correlation review is the most labor-intensive and proficiency-dependent component of generating NIBIN leads. To address this challenge and ensure high-quality, efficient service delivery, ATF centralized its ballistics expertise by co-locating experienced correlation specialists and certified firearm examiners in a state-of-the-art facility. The NNCTC is fully connected to ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Centers (CGICs) and partner agencies, enabling seamless data exchange and rapid lead generation. It also matters because the creation of the ATF NNCTC marked a true nationwide paradigm shift in how programs like NIBIN can be leveraged to deliver timely and trusted crime gun intelligence leads.

Core Services

• Timely, consistent correlation review of ballistic evidence from partner agencies

• Lead dissemination within 24–48 hours, with urgent reviews completed within hours

• National-level NIBIN searches

• No cost to partner NIBIN sites

• Impact (2016–Sept 2022)

• 954,435 correlation reviews completed

• 276,271 actionable leads generated

• 1,866 law enforcement personnel trained in NIBIN acquisition and correlation, both virtually and in-person

Continued Growth

Due to increasing demand for high-quality correlation services, ATF has established a second NNCTC, which will operate alongside the original center, offering the same services and expanding capacity to serve law enforcement nationwide.

ATF’s National Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Excellence (CoE) [2]

In 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced the creation of the National Crime Gun Intelligence (CGI) Center of Excellence (CoE), to be located on Wichita State University’s Innovation Campus. The CoE reflects ATF’s commitment to advancing crime gun intelligence through expanded capacity, cutting-edge training, and academic partnership.

Key Functions of the CoE

Home of the NNCTC-II: The Center will house the second National NIBIN Correlation and Training Center (NNCTC-II), expanding ATF’s ability to provide timely correlation review services nationwide and advancing the capabilities of the NIBIN program.

Comprehensive CGI Training: The CoE will provide tiered, role-specific training in NIBIN and CGI practices for a range of stakeholders, including first responders and detectives, lab analysts, prosecutors, and law enforcement executives. The goal is to build a common understanding and unified approach to CGI across the investigative ecosystem.

Research and Academic Collaboration: A core mission of the CoE is to establish research partnerships with academic institutions. Leveraging ATF’s proprietary crime gun data, these collaborations will explore critical questions about the shooting cycle, offender behavior, and patterns in firearm-related violence. The resulting insights will help shape future strategies for combating gun crime.

Innovation and Evolution in CGI: True to its name, the CoE is designed to foster innovation in CGI. ATF is focusing on continuously evolving CGI methods, exploring next-generation technologies, and interdisciplinary approaches to support investigations and prosecutions. The CoE will serve as a hub for exploring new tools, tactics, and applications that can be shared nationally.

End Note:

"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."

Sir Issac Newton, 1676

Over the past 30 years, many giants from federal, state, and local law enforcement, academia, government, and the high-tech private sector have shaped what we now recognize as best practices in crime gun intelligence. Doreen Hudson was one of them.

In 2017, Doreen Hudson, Commanding Officer of the Forensic Science Division and Regional Crime Laboratory Los Angeles, retired from the Los Angeles Police Department.

Thank you, Doreen, for the work that you’ve done!

PS: According to her LinkedIn page, Doreen continues to do private consulting work.

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Footnotes:

[1] Doreen Hudson, Supervisory Criminalist, Walk-in-Wednesday PowerPoint presentation, Annual Training Seminar of the Association of Firearms and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE), held in Indianapolis, Indiana, 2005.

[2] National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA): Crime Guns - Volume Two, PART I: National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), retrieved 6-30-25 from: https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/nfcta-volume-ii-part-i/download