Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in Ohio are turning to advanced technology and intelligence-based policing strategies used by the Central Ohio Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) to crack down on violent crime.
Located within the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the CGIC is the second full-scale crime gun intelligence center in the state, following Cincinnati’s lead.
A key component of the CGIC is the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), a technology developed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). NIBIN aids investigators in connecting firearms to other crimes by analyzing digital images, or “fingerprints,” of shell casings.
The CGIC analyzes patterns and links between different crime scenes to identify and apprehend violent offenders effectively.
The CGIC model involves multiple agencies working collaboratively under one roof, enhancing information sharing and coordination.
The Cincinnati CGIC, operational since before Central Ohio’s, has demonstrated success in reducing violent crime.
For instance, Lieutenant Eric Vogelpohl, commander of the Cincinnati CGIC, reported a 15% decrease in Cincinnati’s homicide numbers since the center’s inception.
Governor Mike DeWine believes the Central Ohio CGIC represents a significant advancement in intelligence-based policing for the region.
The CGIC provides resources such as firearm evidence examiners, intelligence analysts and investigators to law enforcement agencies free of charge.
Since its launch in July, the CGIC has expedited the processing of ballistic evidence, with evidence recovery to NIBIN entry taking just about an hour, compared to months in the past.
The center’s success is attributed to its ability to connect numerous guns to recent and past violent crimes, aiding investigations and leading to arrests.
One example cited by Governor DeWine involved evidence from a June shooting in Columbus, where NIBIN analysis linked the same firearm to multiple homicides and shootings spanning several months and years.
Another instance highlighted the CGIC’s role in connecting a firearm found in an ongoing investigation to three separate shootings within a month.
ATF Special Agent Daryl McCormick said that NIBIN has generated significant leads in gun crime cases. “From looking at the NIBIN (results), 50% of the evidence produces a lead. If we had 500 acquisitions of evidence … almost 250 of them would reduce in a connection to another crime,” he said. “The guns are being used more than one time, a lot of the time. One shooting is frequently connected to another.”
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, who has been advocating for stricter firearm laws, expressed his support for the CGIC. The city has allocated $5 million toward the initiative.
The CGIC’s focus goes beyond reactive measures, with officials describing its potential to prevent future crimes by identifying patterns quickly and taking violent offenders off the streets promptly.
Any law enforcement agency in central Ohio can submit evidence to the CGIC for analysis at no cost, fostering a collaborative and proactive approach to addressing gun violence in the region.
“We’re looking at the prevention of the next crime,” Columbus Deputy Police Chief Robert Sagle said. “We see a pattern and we know there’ll be more associated shootings out of it. If we are able to identify on these patterns quicker … attach it to a suspect, that will hopefully speed up our time of getting a violent offender off the street and into prosecution.”
In addition to the CGIC announcement, Governor DeWine and Mayor Ginther also revealed plans for a gun buyback event scheduled for September 30, encouraging residents to turn in firearms anonymously in exchange for gift cards. The event aims to complement ongoing efforts to reduce the prevalence of firearms in the community.
