How new technology is helping police in the Big Bend solve gun crimes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – “Something needs to be done to wake us up as a community to say, ‘Hey, this is important.'”

What is being done to address the problems that contribute to gun violence? Issues like gun theft and illegal gun sales through bogus purchases are a major issue for many people who work on public safety, such as Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell. He said it’s a problem he needs public buy-in to solve.

But the department says it is also taking other steps to address the problem. Officials are investing in methods to solve gun crimes more quickly.

About a month ago, TPD announced that it was now using the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) program.

Using cutting-edge technology, the program, administered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), captures and compares images of ballistic evidence, such as shell casings from shootings and recovered firearms, and helps law enforcement quickly determine if there are any connections between incidents and identify potential suspects.

According to TPD officials, investigators developed more than 65 leads on cases within a few months of installing the technology.

“The faster we can move the evidence, the faster we can solve crimes,” Revell said.

Gun crime is the focus of the new WCTV Investigates series “Tracking the Trigger.”

Earlier this week, the series went into detail about a variety of topics related to gun violence, including stolen weapons and a phenomenon called bogus purchases. The reporting highlighted that many of the guns stolen in Tallahassee come from unlocked cars.

Those who have experienced gun violence firsthand – such as local police officers and gun safety advocates like Felicia Gilyard – say they want everyone to take the issue seriously.

In the first story published Wednesday, WCTV Investigates said Gilyard’s granddaughter, Marlacia Kitchen, died as a result of gun violence. Kitchen, 17, was shot and killed in an apartment complex in Tallahassee’s Southwood neighborhood in October 2022, her grandmother said.

Revell and other local law enforcement officials, including Jeff Thayer, resident agent in charge of the ATF’s Tallahassee field office, believe technologies like NIBIN can play a big role in that mission.

“NIBIN is a very important tool that ATF has developed to point an arrow or a laser at a potential problem area,” Thayer said.

Thayer told WCTV Investigates that NIBIN doesn’t necessarily target people, but rather weapons with its bullet casings.

He said it was a revolutionary step for the investigation.

“Every time a shot is fired from a firearm, it leaves special markings and indentations on the cartridge cases that we can use a computer and technology to link together. So we can maybe link two shootings or two incidents together and potentially provide our detectives and investigators with some clues,” Thayer explained.

An ATF spokesperson told WCTV Investigates that TPD is NIBIN’s newest addition to their network.

“We are constantly consulting with other police departments and sheriff’s offices throughout Florida,” said Jason Medina, press secretary for the ATF’s Tampa Field Division. “There is no doubt that NIBIN involves a significant investment in budget, personnel and training, and the benefit – generating leads by digitally comparing the shell casings of a murder weapon to existing databases – is clear and positive.”

Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil said the LCSO is also using NIBIN to work with TPD and ATF to solve more crimes in the area. He said it makes it easier to track what guns are being used throughout the county.

Another advantage of NIBIN, according to Revell, is the reduction in investigation time. The processing time for some evidence has dropped from several weeks to two to three days since the department has NIBIN in-house, the head said.

Revell said that not only were they able to observe how weapons were moved and used in various crimes, but through NIBIN they were also able to link several cases together.

One example of this is the line of duty shooting of TPD Officer Caleb Babb in September 2023. Babb was seriously injured when he was called to a late-night burglary on Sandpiper Street.

John’Darious Wright and Rahyim Sanders are both charged with attempted murder. Tyrell Guinnie is charged with aiding and abetting for allegedly being the getaway driver. Wright has also been charged with a second attempted murder related to another burglary that occurred the same day.

Revell said NIBIN helped expedite the arrest of all three suspects after Babb’s shooting. Within 24 hours of Babb’s shooting, the TPD was able to link the weapon used to wound him to another case.

“Ultimately, we were able to solve these cases and arrest all three suspects involved,” said the TPD chief.

Revell said the three suspects in the Babb case were arrested within three days.

“This would never have happened so quickly if we hadn’t had this technology,” Revell said.

There are others who are trying to contribute to gun safety.

Gun dealer Charlie Strickland said he is committed to preventing gun violence from the moment he decides to put a firearm from his store into the hands of a buyer.

At his Gadsden County gun shop, he educates customers on security issues and offers lockable boxes for cars and homes. He said he wants to curb problems such as bogus purchases and gun thefts from unlocked cars.

TPD and LCSO share his views. For years, the groups have been conducting awareness campaigns and distributing gun locks. All because it’s important for gun owners to do their part to prevent more guns from ending up at the center of local crime, Revell says.

“I’m not at the point yet where I think laws need to be passed that hold gun owners who have had their guns stolen legally accountable, but we’re probably getting close to that point. And I don’t want it to get to that point,” the police chief said. “Something needs to be done to shake us up enough as a community to say, ‘Hey, this is important, and we’re not going to do this anymore.'”

Gilyard also tries to encourage the people of Tallahassee. She wants them to understand the devastating effect gun violence has on those left behind, and she wants the community to be as committed to preventing further harm as she is.

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