ATF to Visit Bridgeport for Statewide Police Training
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on June 21, 2022
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Louisville Division will host a series of trainings for local police departments and prosecutors in Kentucky and West Virginia involving the use of crime gun intelligence in criminal investigations, including firearm tracing and the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, or NIBIN. The training will also cover the criminal use of privately made firearms, including 3D printed firearms, and crime trends observed by ATF around the country.
The training is closed to the media and the public. However, ATF executives will be available immediately following each training event, at approximately 4 p.m., to discuss the importance of crime gun intelligence in criminal investigations and the relevance of the training in today’s climate, as well as to address questions from the media.
The trainings will be held:
KENTUCKY
• On June 21, 2022, at the University of Louisville’s Thornton’s Athletic Center of Excellence Building in the Karp Auditorium (located on the 4th floor). ATF will be available to address media members at 4 p.m.
• On June 22, 2022, at the University of Kentucky’s W.T. Young Library in the UK Athletics Association Auditorium. ATF will be available to address media members at 4 p.m.
WEST VIRGINIA
• On June 23, 2022, at the Benedum Civic Center located at 164 West Main Street in Bridgeport, WV. ATF will be available to address media members at 4 p.m.
In talking about the importance of the training, ATF Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Division said law enforcement are more efficient and successful when utilizing all the crime gun intelligence tools available to attack violent crime.
“Every gun tells a story,” said Morrow of ATF’s Louisville Division, which covers all of Kentucky and West Virginia.
He said the trace of a firearm from ATF’s National Tracing Center tells law enforcement where the firearm originated and where it was first sold.
“That’s invaluable information for an investigator,” he said.
NIBIN, on the other hand, connects related shooting scenes, even across multiple states and jurisdictions, and can help law enforcement focus in on who exactly the drivers of violent crime are in our communities.
“We believe that trainings such as these, in which law enforcement and prosecutors come together and share resources, expertise and best practices, are vital to stopping gun violence and protecting our communities,” Morrow said.
ATF is the lead federal law enforcement agency with jurisdiction involving violent crime investigations involving arson and arson-for-profit and conducting fire scene examinations. More information about ATF and its programs is available at www.atf.gov.
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