The City of Fort Lauderdale announced a dramatic new push in crime fighting across the City to combat gun violence by creating a local Law Enforcement Crime Gun Intelligence Center, a first in Broward County.
This high-tech program will, among other things, dramatically expand bullet and gun tracking across the City and tie into a growing national database leading to more successful crime solving and prosecutions. Fort Lauderdale was chosen to receive a $466,263 federal grant allowing the city to fund a new coordination between FLPD, the State Attorney’s Office, BSO, ATF, FBI, and other local law enforcement agencies in combating gun crime.
Part of the team’s work will involve utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) in conjunction with the City’s ShotSpotter technology. The process would begin with the ShotSpotter system identifying and locating gunshots. Officers would then respond and collect bullet casings on the scene, even when no identifiable victims are present. These casings have markings unique to each individual firearm.
Those characteristics are then entered into a national database (NIBINS) to be available, like fingerprints, to help identify guns and possible suspects. The program has had dramatic success in several other cities across the country solving crimes. The City will focus these efforts in the central core of Fort Lauderdale where 42% of fatal and non-fatal shootings occur. The expectation is a reduction in gun[1]related crimes and more successful prosecutions of criminal cases
