Improving our Crime Gun Intelligence Capabilities

Through the Wisdom of Ants

Several years ago, I was gifted a book by Steven Johnson entitled, Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software. I was particularly moved by the chapter that focused on the emergence of cities and how we often forget how these large metropolises we see today once started off as small territorial areas that amassed groups of people. Through the ages many cities grew and expanded their borders while others instead declined. While there was no single brain or body that navigated order through the chaos, these large cities have expanded and survived countless generations owing to the layering of ideas and innovations that came before them. Smaller ideas created the foundation for bigger ideas, and complexity arose from simplicity.

Recently, two researchers in pursuit of a research grant through the National Institute of Justice completed their examination of the innovative use of firearms related evidence to enhance all violent crime investigations in New Jersey. Dr. Glenn Pierce, Northeastern University and Dr. David Lambert, Roger Willams University published Research on a 15-Year Statewide Program to Generate Enhanced Investigative Lead on Crime Gun Violence. Their research is the first formal assessment of a statewide collaboration and information sharing effort that focused on critical interdependencies among shooting event information, local information and criminal intelligence and ATF’s NIBIN and eTrace programs.

Having been interviewed for this research study and having intimate familiarity with the 15-year timeline, I have frequently referred to this scholarship as the “New Jersey Experience in Crime Gun Intelligence.” Despite my alias name for the study, I cannot help but reflect on the phenomena of emergence theory when I discuss it.

So, what can a bunch of city folk learn from a colony of ants when building a crime gun intelligence capability?

The answer may lie in a concept called emergence theory, a captivating facet of complexity science, which delves into the mysterious realm of where the intricate arises from the simple. It captures the profound understanding of how novel phenomena and properties materialize from the interactions of seemingly mundane constituents. In essence, emergence is the ever-present genesis of complexity, where the whole transcends the mere aggregation of its parts.

In the world of ants, a microscopic drama routinely unfolds as these industrious insects embody the remarkable display of complex, self-organizing systems. Within ant colonies, the emergence initiative of sophisticated behaviors and functions arises from the interactions of seemingly simple individuals.

Ants by themselves may be considered modest creatures; however, within their colonies a remarkable synergy takes shape. Emergence, in this context, is a spectacular process where the collective behaviors and intelligence of the larger ant colony transcend the sum of each individual ant's limited capabilities.  The "hive mind" emerges, orchestrating tasks efficiently without central command. This phenomenon embodies the essence of collective intelligence, a hallmark of emergent systems.

Ant colonies stand as exemplars of emergence theory, where a harmonious symphony of interactions of six-legged engineers gives rise to the astonishing capabilities of the collective group. These tiny creatures teach us that true intelligence can emerge from the simplest of individuals, unveiling the hidden beauty of the natural world.

While it would not be fitting to refer to those responsible for the evolution of New Jersey’s crime gun intelligence capability as members of the Formicidae genus, what happened in New Jersey over the past 15 years was nothing short of remarkable as to how the collective individual insights and contributions of the many has emerged to create a model crime gun intelligence capability worthy of modeling.

Over a 15-year period, each of the New Jersey participants involved added a layer of insight, creativity, and innovation built upon the layers that came before. Similar to the cities mentioned above where bedrock ideas fostered future opportunities for greater collaborations, which in turn led to more complex and innovative advancements.

Like the ants, no one individual was responsible for the complete New Jersey Crime Gun Intelligence Experience. Instead, it was the emergence of ideas that were compounded into greater and greater innovations. Yet, there are two areas worthy of highlighting that may have engendered what we see today as collective complexity that rose from the simplicity of individuals. That would be environment and culture.

The New Jersey Emergence Experience

The protagonist in the 15-year study was the collective enterprise of the New Jersey State Police. However, the two State Police colonels in place during that time, Colonels Rick Fuentes and Patrick Callahan, enabled a culture of communication, collaboration, and coordination both internal and external to the organization. This was only complimented by the Northern New Jersey Urban Area Security Initiative Program Manager Jim Sheehan who recognized the importance of budgeting monies needed to fuel the technological platforms to support the 15-year march toward success. Between the executive leadership and the availability of funding resulted in an environment capable of developing a culture of innovation.

When Drs. Pierce and Lambert set out to conduct their study, I do not think they could have imagined the countless commanders, detectives, analysts, forensic technicians, special agents, prosecutors, and outside experts that over the years lent their expertise to this capability that was realized far after they departed their positions in government.

Today, New Jersey’s approach toward addressing gun crime is considered a national model. It is the underlying reason that this study was originally commissioned. It is the reason that the takeaways that this research will provide will go on to influence and inform other departments across the nation. It is also the reason that the lessons learned in New Jersey will save other agencies time, money, and resources while pursuing the goal of combating gun crime in a manner that seeks to bring justice to victims, resolution to their families, and peace to those communities affected by the scourge of gun violence.

I was fortunate to have had a front-row seat to the early triumphs of New Jersey’s crime gun intelligence efforts, such as the introduction of NJ POP and NJ Trace’s analytical efforts. I later witnessed the overhauling of the NJSP’s NIBIN program, which saw a 10-month turnaround time shortened to 24-36 hours. But the true reward has been seeing how much this once emergent effort evolved over the years in terms of collecting, assessing, and then using the evidence-based intelligence to prevent, detect, and arrest violent offenders.

While there are so many individuals that deserve mention for advancing this seasoned capability that are represented in the command, investigative, forensic, and prosecutorial roles it has been the combined efforts of all these diligent entities over the years that have constructed the “city” in terms of a crime gun intelligence capability.

Nevertheless, some do warrant special attention because of their respective “worker ant roles.” Former Newark Police Director Anthony Ambrose modeled the way with his organization’s use of NIBIN information to address gun violence. Former ATF Director Tom Brandon recognized the value that one jurisdiction could have influencing how gun crime is targeted and then publicized it across the nation. LTC Geoffrey Noble (ret.) brought to light the value of how forensic information could bolster intelligence-led policing. LTC Joe Brennan and his incredible command team of Major Larry Williams (ret) and Captain Michael Smith (ret.) were all instrumental in erecting the bridge between crime gun intelligence information and actionable gun crime investigatory leads and a statewide program designed to assess and evaluate the impact of violent crime and the targeting of serial shooters.

Finally, and probably the most important to realizing the emergence of this important endeavor was the crime gun intelligence “queen ant” or in true gender identity and expression the “king ant” Pete Gagliardi. I remembered when he first reached out to us in 2014 selflessly lending insight and expertise that over time allowed the New Jersey experience and all its players the opportunity to grow and expand to what we see today.

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For anyone who chooses to read this research study with great ant-ticipation, they should do so under the proper context. What occurred in New Jersey can certainly be replicated. However, to do so requires a host of executive leaders advancing the necessary policies that can inspire change agents willing to challenge the status quo time and again.

Much like ant colonies, where every individual serves a specific role to ensure the colony's success, the emergence of crime gun intelligence relies on the collaborative efforts of various experts and cutting-edge technologies. The intricate patterns in ant behavior and communication techniques are analogous to the meticulous analytical, investigative and forensic techniques employed by those we count on to become a jurisdiction’s crime gun intelligence experts.