The NRTAC was established in 2016 as a training and technical assistance (TTA) center. It’s designed to improve law enforcement investigations at the local level by developing resources that use evidence-based tools and methodologies. As part of the NRTAC’s mission, the National Policing Institute (NPI) supports the implementation of the Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) model in local jurisdictions.
Project Overview
Over the past two decades, the United States has faced remarkably low clearance rates (22.3%) for Part One offenses, which negatively impact communities and police alike. To improve the quality and equity of investigative outcomes, NPI and our partners provide TTA to criminal justice stakeholders under the NRTAC initiative. As part of the NRTAC’s mission, NPI partners with the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to support local multidisciplinary teams in their effort to establish Crime Gun Intelligence Centers (CGICs) in their jurisdictions.
CGICs are collaborative efforts between local, state, and federal agencies to improve the quality of investigations by making ballistic evidence more actionable and lead-generating. A CGIC is ultimately used to identify prolific shooters and work with local and federal stakeholders to arrest and prosecute them.
Since 2016, NPI has supported the implementation of the CGIC model in several jurisdictions, including the 54 BJA CGIC grantee sites:
- Albuquerque, NM
- Aurora, CO
- Baltimore, MD
- Bridgeport, CT
- Broward County, FL
- Charlotte, NC
- Chattanooga, TN
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Columbia, SC
- Connecticut State
- Cuyahoga County, OH
- Detroit, MI
- East Baton Rouge, LA
- Ft. Lauderdale, FL
- Harris County, TX
- Henderson, NC
- Houston, TX
- Indianapolis, IN
- Jackson, MS
- Jefferson County, CO
- Kansas City, KS
- Kansas City, MO
- Little Rock, AR
- Los Angeles, CA
- Los Angeles County, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Memphis, TN
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Newark, NJ
- New Haven, CT
- Oakland, CA
- Palm Beach County, FL
- Paterson, NJ
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pinal County, AZ
- Pitt County, NC
- Puerto Rico
- Saint Paul, MN
- Saint Petersburg, FL
- San Francisco, CA
- Santa Clara County, CA
- Stockton, CA
- Tampa, FL
- Toledo, OH
- Tulsa, OK
- Tucson, AZ
- Vanderburgh County, IN
- Washington, DC
- Wichita, KS
- Wilmington, DE
- Winston-Salem, NC
Methodology
The NRTAC is a TTA center designed to improve law enforcement investigations at the local level by developing resources that use new tools and methodologies that are consistent with BJA’s evidence-based emphasis.
Throughout the initiative, eligible departments can request TTA via an online request form or email. With BJA approval, NPI provides site-specific assistance in collaboration with some of the nation’s most accomplished investigators, prosecutors, researchers, and policy experts who are directly relevant to the investigative process and criminal justice system. All efforts incorporate crime science findings to focus on the small number of serious, high-risk offenders in neighborhoods (hot spots) suffering precipitous crime increases. TTA is customized and may involve one or more subject matter experts based on the nature of the request.
In support of BJA’s CGIC grantees, NPI evaluates each site according to the seven-step CGIC workflow to identify potential gaps in implementation while making recommendations for process improvement. NPI provides ongoing TTA throughout an agency’s grant period to aid jurisdictions in implementing the guidance effectively. Additionally, NPI trains CGIC stakeholders, including patrol officers, investigators, crime analysts, and prosecutors.
NPI has built and maintained a CGIC community of practice where lessons learned and best practices are curated to enhance techniques and advance the field. The CGIC community of practice allows CGIC sites around the nation to exchange knowledge and resources and support each other.
Results
With the rise in violent crime across the country, now more than ever, it is critical to engage a variety of stakeholders in gun crime reduction measures. NPI supports the Local Law Enforcement CGIC Integration Initiative by focusing on the immediate collection, management, and analysis of crime gun evidence in real time in an effort to identify shooters, disrupt criminal activity, and prevent future violence. CGICs rely on an ongoing collaboration between the ATF, local law enforcement agencies, crime laboratories, probation and parole, local prosecuting attorneys, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, crime analysts, community groups, and academic organizations. Through these collaborative efforts, a greater focus and execution is placed on gun crime reduction strategies in cities facing a precipitous increase in violent crime. When the CGIC model is implemented, agencies handling gun crime cases tend to see improvements in investigations, clearance rates, and prosecutorial outcomes.
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Media inquiries should be directed to our Communications team at:
media@policinginstitute.org
202-833-1460
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More Information
Project Status: Active
Project Period: October 2016 - September 2025
Location(s): Chicago, IL, Tucson, AZ, Houston, TX, Indianapolis, IN, Wilmington, DE, Baltimore, MD, Albuquerque, NM, Baton Rouge, LA, Chattanooga, TN, Columbia, SC, Detroit, MI, Henderson, NC, Little Rock, AR, Memphis, TN, Miami, FL, Myrtle Beach, SC, New Haven, CT, Palm Beach County, FL, San Francisco, CA, Saint Paul, MN, Tampa, FL, Toledo, OH, Tulsa, OK, Wichita, KS, Winston-Salem, NC, Los Angeles, CA, Cincinnati, OH, Aurora, CO, Bridgeport, CT, Broward County, FL, Charlotte, NC, Connecticut State, Cuyahoga County, OH, East Baton Rouge, LA, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Harris County, TX, Jackson, MS, Jefferson County, CO, Kansas City, KS, Kansas City, MO, Los Angeles County, CA, Louisville, KY, Milwaukee, WI, Newark, NJ, Paterson, NJ, Oakland, CA, Phoenix, AZ, Pinal County, AZ, Pitt County, NC, Puerto Rico, Saint Petersburg, FL, Santa Clara County, CA, Stockton, CA, Vanderburgh County, IN, Washington, DC
Strategic Priority Area(s)
Service Area(s)
Topic Area(s)
Staff Contact(s)
Media Contact
Media inquiries should be directed to our Communications team at:
media@policinginstitute.org
202-833-1460
Share