KTSM: New Mexico launches gun crime center inside AG’s Office

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, along with state law enforcement partners, announced the creation of the first Crime Gun Intelligence Center housed within an attorney general’s office in the country.
They made the announcement during a news conference on Monday, Dec. 13.
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,” the NM Attorney General’s Office said.
In addition to announcing the intelligence center, Torrez also announced that his office 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, Torrez’s office said.
“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,” Torrez said. “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.”
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, said: “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.
“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,” Heinrich said.
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, Torrez’s office said.