Department of Justice partners with local agencies to combat gun violence

Press release from U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Acts of gun violence are far too frequent in communities throughout the Northern District of Florida. Violating federal firearms laws is a serious crime and offenders face serious consequences. The Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who illegally buy, sell, use, or possess firearms.

“The investigation and prosecution of violent crime is central to our mission to protect the public,” said Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. “We will continue to utilize every resource available to us to make our streets safe. Our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners work tirelessly to keep us safe and serve a critical role in our efforts to combat violent crime.”

The most effective way to reduce gun violence is through partnerships – federal, state, and local agencies working together to effectively enforce the laws. This strategy has been successful in this area, including such cooperative initiatives as ALLin LEON and the Gainesville Gun Violence Initiative, which are making a meaningful difference to reduce gun violence in the Northern District of Florida.

“ALLin LEON” is a comprehensive plan to unify people, agencies, and organizations to work collaboratively to reduce crime in Leon County. It is a partnership that allows all stakeholders to work towards a common goal. “ALLin LEON” comprises four components: prevention, re-entry, enforcement, and community involvement. Each component seeks to use reliable data to implement proven strategies. The joint federal, state, and local strike force is a concerted effort to crack down on violent crime under the Leon County Sheriff’s Office ALLin LEON umbrella. This initiative has engaged community volunteers to regularly take at-risk youth to places of worship, activated Neighborhood Crime Watch programs, and conducted other activities to target neighborhoods that are perennial hotspots for violence. The effort also aims to help connect individuals who are reentering the community from incarceration with education, job skills, and substance abuse treatment.

Gainesville Gun Violence Initiative (GVI) is a joint effort of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The Gainesville GVI was established in April 2019 by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida in an effort to stem the escalating gun violence in Gainesville and the surrounding area. As GVI partners, the State Attorney’s Office for the Eighth Judicial Circuit, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Gainesville Police Department, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Alachua Police Department, the University of Florida Police Department, and the Florida Department of Corrections share this commitment to protecting public safety.

Intelligence tools come in many forms. One source is the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), which digitally analyzes and compares fired shell casings to help investigators link shootings that may have previously seemed unrelated. Administered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the system is being used at more than 250 sites as a crime gun intelligence tool by law enforcement agencies around the country.

“Extending NIBIN technology to state and local agencies strengthens our collective ability to identify trigger-pullers before they shoot again,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Special Agent in Charge Kirk D. Howard. “ATF works hand-in-hand with our partners because no one agency can reduce the level of violent gun crime in North Florida alone.”