City of St. Paul Receives $750,000 in Federal Grant Money to Address Gun-Related Violent Crime
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced that $750,000 in grant funds have been awarded to the City of Saint Paul to expand its use of the Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Saint Paul Field Division. Specifically, the grant provides funding for a crime analyst, a National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) technician, a CGIC prosecutor, and training.
The Local Law Enforcement Crime Gun Intelligence Center Integration Initiative, administered by the DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, in partnership with the ATF, is a competitive grant program that provides funding to state, local, and tribal government entities that are experiencing precipitous increases in gun-related violent crime. Saint Paul is one of eight local law enforcement jurisdictions across the country to receive this funding.
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald said, "These funds will allow for greater partnership between the Saint Paul Police Department and the ATF by expanding the Crime Gun Intelligence Center, focused solely on reducing gun-related violent crime. Keeping Minnesotans safe from violence is my top priority and partnerships such as this are key to identifying and prosecuting individuals who bring gun violence to our communities."
Saint Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell said, The Saint Paul Police Department is doing everything in its power to reduce gun violence in the city of Saint Paul. This grant money will allow us additional resources to enhance our partnership with the ATF and stop the violent criminals."
"Given the recent increase in violence in the City of St. Paul, this grant couldn’t have come at a better time," said ATF Special Agent in Charge William "Terry" Henderson, of the Saint Paul Field Division. "This funding will help to increase the crime-gun intelligence capacity for the city and its police officers. Crime-gun intelligence allows for improved, coordinated efforts amongst
law enforcement working within the city to identify, investigate, and prosecute violent offenders. Congratulations to the City of St. Paul and the police department on this monumental opportunity. ATF is committed to continuing our great partnership with the St. Paul Police Department to rid the city of violent crime."
For more information on the Local Law Enforcement Crime Gun Intelligence Center Integration Initiative, please visit https://www.bja.gov/funding/CGIC19.pdf
As the only crime gun ballistic network in the United States, NIBIN compares images of cartridge casings recovered at crime scenes and firearms recovered by law enforcement to connect shooting incidents and identify shooters. More information on NIBIN is available at https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/fact-sheet/fact-sheet-national-inte….
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
