SHOWCASE : NIBIN ENGAGEMENT TEAM ( NET )
The Arlington Police Department , in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms , and Explosives ( ATF ), created a new unit in 2022 called the NIBIN Engagement Team ( NET ). The goal of this nine-member , intelligence-driven group is to investigate , dismantle , and disrupt illegal gun activity within the city .
NIBIN — which stands for the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network — is a national database maintained by ATF that local law enforcement can use to help connect ballistics evidence recovered from crime scenes to other incidents , known firearms , or individuals . Although detectives have used NIBIN for years to investigate individual cases , APD leadership felt there was an opportunity to broaden its use to proactively develop intelligence and actionable leads .
Using the system , NET creates detailed profiles that show connections between gunrelated incidents , the firearms used in those incidents , and the suspects and witnesses involved in those cases . These profiles can help detectives quickly identify investigative priorities by showing them which individuals or weapons are repeatedly showing up at violent crime scenes across Arlington and the DFW Metroplex . They can also help detectives see where there may be opportunities to develop informants .
Because NET members don ’ t carry caseloads , they have the ability to follow up on leads , gather additional intel , and take enforcement action when they have enough evidence to pursue criminal charges . In 2022 , NET seized 16 guns , 87 pounds of marijuana , executed 10 search warrants , and wrote 9 arrest warrants .
NET has made several significant arrests of suspects involved in gun crimes . In November , for example , they investigated a suspect who was illegally selling firearms on social media , and set up a sting operation that ultimately led to an arrest . NET seized several guns in the sting , one of which was illegally modified to be fully automatic .
16 | 2022 Annual Report