Terwilliger Joins ATF’s National Crime Gun Intelligence Board

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – United States Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger has joined law enforcement leaders from around the country at the ATF’s National Crime Gun Intelligence Governing Board meeting in Huntsville, Alabama. (Click here for tweet and photo)

“It is an honor to join such an accomplished group of law enforcement officials in pursuit of reducing firearms violence,” said Terwilliger. “Already here in the Eastern District we have seen the benefits of the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, or NIBIN, in helping solve shootings, and more help is on the way with the City of Richmond Police Department scheduled to receive their own NIBIN machine this fall. I believe this will be a game-changer in Richmond. Not only will it help us solve shootings, but it will also offer a deterrent effect in that criminals will know every time they fire a gun during a crime of violence, we will use this technology to assist us in matching the casing, tracking the gun, and hunting down the trigger-puller. The ATF’s leadership on this program and commitment to providing law enforcement officers around the country with the tools they need to solve firearms crimes is beyond impressive. I am thankful for the opportunity to serve on this national board and represent the interests of the Eastern District of Virginia.”

The two-day meeting of law enforcement leaders will include a tour of the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) National Correlation Training Center and strategic discussions on NIBIN, a high-tech program that automates ballistics evaluations and provides actionable investigative leads in a timely manner. Terwilliger made acquiring NIBIN machines here in the Eastern District a high priority immediately after taking the reigns as U.S. Attorney in May 2018. Law enforcement in the Eastern District currently has access to two NIBIN machines: One in Beltsville, Maryland, that services law enforcement in Northern Virginia; and a machine in Newport News that is shared by the Newport News Police Department and the Hampton Police Department. The City of Richmond Police Department is scheduled to receive its own NIBIN machine this fall.

ATF Deputy Director Thomas E. Brandon said the bureau is pleased Terwilliger accepted an invitation to join the board.

“United States Attorney Terwilliger’s extensive experience in both prosecuting violent firearm offenders and developing Department of Justice policies to combat firearm violence provides essential expertise to the Crime Gun Intelligence Governing Board,” said ATF Deputy Director Thomas E. Brandon. “ATF is fully committed to reducing gun violence in communities across the nation and the Governing Board, which includes police chiefs, forensic lab directors and federal and state prosecutors, is vital to the success of our mission. ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network helps disrupt the shooting cycle by assisting investigators in identifying firearms involved in more than one crime, often leading to the arrest of active trigger pullers and the firearm traffickers who illegally supply them with guns. NIBIN focuses investigations on our nation’s most violent offenders, enhancing the effectiveness of law enforcement in making our communities safer. We thank United States Attorney Terwilliger for his commitment to public safety the Eastern District of Virginia and our nation, and greatly appreciate his joining the Board.”

Established in 2016, the board uses the collective experience of federal, state, and local experts in the fields of forensics, law enforcement, and criminal law to ensure ATF receives valuable input on national programs related to Crime Gun Intelligence. Members of the 23-member board serve 3-year terms and are eligible for re-appointment. It meets biannually in different cities across the United States.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.