• Free evidence analysis and investigative support now available for Central Ohio law enforcement agencies.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine joined state, local, and federal leaders in Columbus to unveil the new Central Ohio Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) for investigating and preventing gun violence.

Housed within the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the Central Ohio CGIC is operated in partnership between the Columbus Division of Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

This centralized law enforcement hub, which focuses exclusively on investigating and preventing gun violence, combines the expertise of firearm evidence examiners, intelligence analysts, and investigators under one roof to rapidly collect, analyze, and share information about guns used in violent crimes.

“The new Central Ohio Crime Gun Intelligence Center represents the next generation in intelligence-based policing, and it is unlike anything that has ever been done in Central Ohio before,” said Governor DeWine.

“The teams taking part in this large-scale and long-term collaboration are sharing everything from intelligence and investigative leads to technology and manpower so that they can zero in on the people who are shooting and killing others without remorse. Gun violence is about to become much, much harder to get away with in Central Ohio.”

The centerpiece of the Central Ohio CGIC is the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), which was developed by the ATF to help law enforcement connect gun crimes nationwide. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is dedicating two NIBIN machines to the CGIC that will create digital images of shell casings connected to criminal investigations and compare them to firearm evidence from other crimes. A match indicates that the same firearm may have been used in multiple shootings, and law enforcement can use this information as an investigative lead.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said the city was “pleased to join our partners across the state and region to unveil the Crime Gun Intelligence Center. The project will provide law enforcers with the necessary tools to connect the guns being used to commit crimes with the individuals who wield or peddle them in the first place. By working together, we can create safer communities.

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