Robert J. Contee, III, Chief of Police for the Metropolitan Police Department, Charlie Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Channing D. Phillips, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, announce the formation of the NIBIN Investigations Unit (NIU), to help investigate and prosecute non-fatal shootings and violent gun offenders in the District of Columbia. 

The NIU will consist of a dedicated team of MPD Detectives, ATF Special Agents, ATF Intelligence Analysts, and an Assistant U.S. Attorney focused on investigating leads generated by ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to identify, investigate, and prosecute the trigger-pullers who terrorize our neighborhoods. Removing shooters from D.C.’s streets is an indispensable step in breaking the cycle of violence gripping our communities.

In CY 2020, the MPD and ATF entered 2,789 cartridge cases into the NIBIN network, consisting of test-fires from recovered firearms and cartridge cases recovered at crime scenes. Approximately 25% of all firearms entered linked to a prior shooting and 60% of all recovered cartridge cases linked to other shooting events.

“The investigative leads developed from NIBIN here in the District are abundant. Focused coordination and follow-up are essential to ensuring that shooters will be identified and arrested before they can reoffend. This new partnership will bring a special focus to these investigations and offenders,” stated Charlie Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Washington Field Division.

“The gun violence that has been plaguing our communities across the country, and specifically Washington, DC, is unacceptable and it is our responsibility in law enforcement to make people feel safe,” stated Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of MPD. “Through intelligence-led policing with our federal partners and in collaboration with the USAO, together we will lead the charge in holding offenders accountable.”

“We are committed to working together with our law enforcement partners to do everything we can to reduce gun violence in the District of Columbia,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips. “We will work closely with MPD and ATF on this initiative to investigate firearms-related crimes and make the city safer.”

NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.