WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced on Wednesday the establishment of its Crime Gun Intelligence (CGI) Center of Excellence, located on Wichita State University’s Innovation Campus.
The Center of Excellence will be a model for the use of CGI in supporting law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. It will serve as a home for the National Crime Gun Intelligence Governing Board.
Established in 2016, the board leverages the collective experience of local, state and federal experts working in forensics, law enforcement and criminal law to ensure ATF receives valuable input on national programs relating to CGI.
The partnership supports Wichita State’s priorities to fuel the talent pipeline in the region and diversify and boost the state’s economy through innovative education.
“Wichita State’s strategic partnerships with industry and government agencies stimulate job growth for our region and help our students gain valuable hands-on learning experiences,” said Dr. Rick Muma, president of Wichita State.
The center will not only serve as a national model of support to law enforcement agencies across the U.S., but it will also bring unique applied learning opportunities to WSU students, including teaching them to process evidence and generate intelligence, as well as the cutting-edge investigative processes now seen in the criminal justice field.
“The proximity of the new ATF center to the Law Enforcement Training Center, which houses WSU’s Department of Criminal Justice on our Innovation Campus, creates an applied learning trifecta for our students, giving them access to advanced education and hands-on training to prepare them for careers in public safety and law enforcement,” Muma said.
The Center of Excellence will also serve as a second national correlation center for the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network. It will allow the ATF to expand its free correlation services to additional law enforcement agencies, resulting in more investigative leads for ATF’s partners.
The current NIBIN National Correlation and Training Center, located in Huntsville, Alabama, conducts approximately 1,700 correlations per day for law enforcement agencies nationwide.
