The Benefits of Crime Gun Intelligence Over the More Guns/Less Guns Debate
The Benefits of Crime Gun Intelligence Over the More Guns/Less Guns Debate
By Pete Gagliardi
Around 2010, I made a minor lifestyle change from paper-based news to online news.
What hasn’t - changed much - over the last 14 years, is that hardly a day has gone by that I do not read about an act of gun-related violence happening somewhere in our country.
I read the comments posted under the articles. There are offers of thoughts and prayers, and pleas for new laws, and ways to stop the shootings. I’m amused, and not in a good way, at the simplistic and opposed quick fixes offered. One commenter will write that we need - more guns. The next, that we need – fewer guns. It continues along the same lines, reinforced by interest groups, and lawmakers.
I certainly have no interest in engaging in an ideological discussion about guns here. I just shake my head, when I read the monotonous tidal flow of rhetoric about gun-related crime that fails to produce anything in terms of sustainable solutions that seek justice and the imprisonment of dangerous criminals.
People killing people has been going on for a long time. The biblical “Book of Genesis” recorded the first murder when Cain killed Able, both sons of Adam and Eve. So, I don’t expect that the content of my writings can put an end to gun violence. I’m not quite sure that any mortal of this world can do it.
What I am sure of though is that – the victims of gun violence deserve justice, their loved one’s resolution, and their neighbor’s peace. Moreover, armed criminals must be stopped and brought to justice quickly before they can do more harm.
Recognizing the murderous legacy we’ve inherited from biblical times, the scientific search for a solution to the underlying causes of violent acts is an admirable objective worth pursuing. But first – shouldn’t we ensure that our police forces, forensic labs, and prosecutors have the resources and tools they need to sustain the most effective law enforcement response to gun-related crimes and violence?
With a mantra of “No crime of violence left unsolved”, our shared purpose should be to seek justice for the victims, resolution for their loved ones, and peace for their neighbors.
Arguing whether there should be “more guns or fewer guns” neither solves crimes, nor seeks justice, resolution, or peace for those affected.
While we continue to debate the issues – gun-related violence remains a daily occurrence in many cities. Each day more victims are added to the queue of open cases.
If all gun violence were to end tomorrow, would the victims and their families who have been waiting in the open queue for weeks, months, and more - deserve any less of a shot at justice, resolution, and peace?
Do we wipe the case blotters clean and burn the files?
Justice must be pursued regardless of current circumstances, and the backlog of open cases should be treated seriously. The notion of "cleaning the case blotters" undermines the commitment to accountability and the pursuit of justice.
Therefore, I think many will agree that it makes much more sense to focus more time, attention, and resources on enforcing the laws that we have on the books to deal with acts of gun-related violence as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Enforcing the law today isn’t all that easy. The elements involved are complex and interconnected. I submit that cross-jurisdictional TEAMWORK, policy-driven TACTICS, and layers of leveraging TECHNOLOGY are required. Effective collaboration between various law enforcement agencies is crucial; each jurisdiction must share insights and contribute expertise to enhance the overall effectiveness of investigations.
Crimes involving firearms typically generate crucial data which, when properly managed, forms crime gun intelligence (CGI). This intelligence is key to driving investigations and helping to identify and apprehend criminals. When CGI is deemed admissible in court, prosecutors present it as evidence that can influence the determination of guilt or innocence.
When firearms and fired evidence are recovered during fatal and non-fatal shooting events, four primary sources of CGI should be routinely examined:
Police Incident Reports: Detail the people involved, the locations and the circumstances surrounding the shooting event, and evidence recovery.
ATF eTrace: Facilitates crime gun tracing to determine a firearm’s origin and transaction history.
NCIC (National Crime Information Center): Contains records of stolen and lost firearms,
NIBIN (National Integrated Ballistic Information Network): Helps law enforcement connect crimes, guns, and suspects.
Additionally, key forensic evidence may be found on the firearm's surfaces, including the manufacturer’s identification data - essential for crime gun tracing, and DNA, latent fingerprints, and trace evidence, which can help tie persons of interest to investigations.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is a leader in institutionalizing CGI programs and best practices and compiling data for tactical and strategic uses.
Over the past several years, ATF has published an academic research series consisting of four volumes of the National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA)[1]. The NFCTA researchers gathered and analyzed data on the licensed manufacture and distribution of firearms, their use in crime, and ATF’s effective crime gun intelligence-led programs, such as the National Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) Initiative[2].
A recently published study on "The impact of the Detroit crime gun intelligence center on fatal and nonfatal shooting clearance rates[3]," found that: 1) Fatal and nonfatal shooting cases with NIBIN leads that occurred during the Detroit CGIC were 4.8 times more likely to be cleared compared to similar cases that occurred before its establishment, and 2) Advanced NIBIN lead reports generated by CGIC crime analysts— containing insights from digital forensics, social media analysis, and geospatial assessments— proved critical in enhancing investigative outcomes.
For those of you reading this, who have true insight into how well gun-related crimes are investigated in your area, here’s a rhetorical question: On a scale of one to ten (ten being the best), how well do the investigators, forensic experts and prosecutors in your area think and act together to manage and use CGI. I believe that answers to this question, have a direct correlation as to how effective the criminal justice system in a given area is at solving gun-related crimes.
So – what does it take to get to a 10? The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has developed a concise yet comprehensive checklist as part of their resolution entitled: Regional Crime Gun Processing Protocols. Passed in 2012, but just as relevant, and perhaps even more so today, the resolution succinctly states that the IACP views regionally applied crime gun and evidence processing protocols as a best practice for the investigation of firearm-related crimes, and encourages law enforcement officials, prosecuting attorneys, and forensic experts to collaborate on the design of mutually agreeable protocols best suited for their region.
It identifies six very clear-cut critical steps that must be addressed for the thorough investigation of each gun-related crime:
1. The safe and proper collection of all crime guns & related evidence
2. The performance of appropriate NCIC transactions (e.g. stolen, recovered) on recovered guns.
3. The timely and comprehensive tracing of all crime guns through ATF & eTrace.
4. The timely processing of crime gun test fires and ballistics evidence through NIBIN.
5. The timely lab submission and analysis of other forensic data from crime guns and related evidence (e.g. DNA, latent fingerprints, trace evidence).
6. The timely generation, dissemination, and investigative follow-up of the intelligence derived from the protocols.
Moreover, a comprehensive crime gun intelligence strategy, incorporating elements from the IACP Resolution, and in particular from the publication “Crime Gun Intelligence: An Evidence-Based Approach to Solving Violent Crime”, a best practices handbook, by ATF and the National Crime Gun Intelligence Governing Board[4], would be a sure way to get to a 10!
The more guns-fewer guns debate doesn’t hold much promise for leading a murder suspect away in handcuffs, for linking a suspect’s gun to a crime, or for solving a child’s murder, caught in a crossfire as she played in the park. However, ATF’s crime gun intelligence best practices, and elements of the 2012 IACP Resolution have - and many times over.
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[1] https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/publications-library
[2]https://crimegunintelcenters.org/#:~:text=The%20National%20Crime%20Gun%20Intelligence%20Center%20Initiative%20supports%20local%20multidisciplinary,disruption%2C%20investigation%2C%20and%20prosecution.
[3] De Biasi, Alaina, 2024. "The impact of the Detroit crime gun intelligence center on fatal and nonfatal shooting clearance rates," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
[4] https://crimegunintelcenters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/CGI-Best-Practices-Handbook-2020.pdf
Great article, Pete. Thanks for leading & teaching this mantra.
Great piece! And thanks for always leading the way!