Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco Announces New Crime Gun Intelligence Center in Chicago

Alongside state and local law enforcement partners in Chicago, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco and Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced today the opening of a new Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) in Chicago.

“Chicago's expanded crime gun intelligence center uses cutting-edge technology to trace crime guns, link ballistics evidence to connect shootings, and identify gun traffickers and straw purchasers who arm violent criminals,” said Deputy Attorney General Monaco. “By combining talent, technology, and data from 13 agencies in a single hub, law enforcement in Chicago will generate more leads to take repeat shooters off the streets, so we can push case-closure rates up and drive violent crime rates down. To continue our historic progress against violent crime, we need to bring more crime gun intelligence to more law enforcement agencies, in more jurisdictions, more quickly than ever before.”

“We are putting agents, cops, detectives, deputies, and prosecutors, all from different agencies across law enforcement, in one room working together. Each morning, they are reviewing key evidence from the previous night’s shootings, using real-time, state of the art intelligence. It is a true game changer. CGICs make homicide cases. CGICs stop the next shooting. And CGICs help identify illegal sources and stop the guns that are getting to the shooters,” said ATF Director Steve Dettelbach. “I want to commend the ATF Chicago leadership and the dozen law enforcement agencies that have committed to working together under one roof with a focus on real-time ballistics testing and firearms tracing. Without all of them, this CGIC does not happen. This level of partnership is truly exceptional. Chalk one up for the good guys.”

CGICs are centralized law enforcement hubs that focus exclusively on investigating and preventing gun violence in local communities. They use cutting-edge technologies, including ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) and eTrace systems, to rapidly develop and pursue investigative leads in order to drive case clearance rates up — which in turn can help drive violent crime rates down. They bring together, under one roof, the expertise of firearm evidence examiners, intelligence analysts, and investigators to rapidly collect, analyze, and share information about guns used in violent crimes. In total, ATF operates more than 60 CGICs nationwide.

“The CGIC in Chicago will allow us to identify specific incidents and trends in firearm offenses, enabling us to move quickly in investigating and prosecuting violent crimes in the most appropriate venue,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “The CGIC is a significant investment from the Justice Department to accelerate our efforts to reduce violent crime in the Northern District of Illinois.”

“This unprecedented partnership in Chicago among local, state, and federal law enforcement will ensure the prompt and comprehensive delivery of intelligence related to firearms used in crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon of the ATF Chicago Field Division. “The timely tracing of recovered firearms and NIBIN analysis of cartridge cases will produce comprehensive intelligence vital to solving gun crime in our communities.”

Thirteen agencies across federal, state, and local law enforcement are co-located within the new CGIC, focusing on real-time comprehensive ballistics testing and firearms tracing, two of ATF’s fundamental pillars of Crime Gun Intelligence. Also co-located at the CGIC are federal and state prosecutors to ensure the charging process is timely and effective. The Chicago CGIC partners include ATF, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, Chicago Police Department, Cook County Sheriffs Police, Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Illinois State Police, Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Illinois Department of Corrections, and Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.