Attorney General Raúl Torrez speaks during Monday’s press conference. Also pictured are San Juan County Sheriff Shane Ferrari, center, and Roswell Police Department Chief Lance Bateman. LAR Screenshot
DEPT. OF JUSTICE NEWS RELEASE
Today, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, along with state law enforcement partners, announced the first Crime Gun Intelligence Center housed within an attorney general’s office in the country. The New Mexico Department of Justice’s (NMDOJ) Crime Gun Intelligence Center uses forensic evidence to find connections between firearms used in crimes across the state. The information collected will help law enforcement in every corner of New Mexico identify key suspects, witnesses and other key information.
In addition to announcing the intelligence center, Attorney General Torrez also announced that it has received the funding to acquire four National Integrated Ballistic Information Network machines to be distributed across the state. Law enforcement officers will use these machines to conduct highly technical inspections of gun casings, which will provide meaningful leads connecting crimes and firearms used in crimes across the state.
“This Crime Gun Intelligence Center is the first of its kind, allowing for start-to-finish information gathering and intelligence analytics that will be key to the arrests of dangerous criminals,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “This unit and its statewide network will help law enforcement solve crimes at a faster rate and produce leads in criminal cases that would otherwise not be known. I’m extremely grateful to Senator Heinrich for his work to secure the funding we needed to get this crimefighting network up and running.”
“New Mexicans want to be safe in their homes and communities, and I am committed to delivering the resources and legislation to make that a reality. From cracking down on firearms trafficking and straw purchases to ensuring illicit fentanyl remains a controlled substance, I remain committed to protecting our communities from violence in all forms. But public safety cannot be maintained through laws alone. It requires the dedication and partnership of state and local law enforcement throughout our state,” said U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich. “It’s delivering major investments like these NIBIN machines that make me proud to fight for New Mexico on the Senate Appropriations Committee. These state-of-the-art tools will be transformational in how we solve violent crime, giving law enforcement the ability to rapidly trace firearms used in crimes across our state and better hold repeat offenders accountable. When it comes to crime, my focus is on preventing what we can and solving it when we can’t. With these machines, New Mexico will be able to do both on an unprecedented scale — stopping violent criminals before they can do more harm.”
The four new machines will be located with the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, the Gallup Police Department, the Roswell Police Department and the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. These machines will share information via the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network with the Crime Gun Intelligence Center in Albuquerque, where trained NMDOJ staff will analyze the results and produce leads for partnering law enforcement agencies.
“This new NIBIN technology is a major step forward in how we investigate and prevent gun violence in San Juan County,” said San Juan County Sheriff Shane Ferrari. “By partnering with the National Crime Gun Intelligence Center, we’re able to quickly connect ballistic evidence to firearms used in crimes, helping us identify suspects faster and link cases that might otherwise go unsolved. Most importantly, this tool strengthens our ability to hold violent offenders accountable and keep our communities safer.”
“I want to thank all of our partners for making this technology available across the state,” said Gallup Police Department Chief Erin Toadlena-Pablo. “This is going to help law enforcement and victims of crime. I’m grateful for the NMDOJ and Attorney General Torrez for fighting for this – continuing to show its importance because gun violence is a huge issue within New Mexico and the U.S. I am also grateful to Senator Heinrich – we appreciate his consideration as we continue to fight crime and partner in working toward a better New Mexico.”
“The Roswell Police Department is excited about housing this important technology,” said Roswell Police Department Chief Lance Bateman. “This will be a game changer in helping agencies solve violent crimes related to firearms in southeast New Mexico.”
A step-by-step Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) and National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) guide is attached.