Episode 270 | Just Using Forensic Intelligence to Solve Gun Violence Cases

Original Release Date: December 8, 2023

In episode two of our National Case Closed Project: Supporting Best Practices in Investigation season, Just Science sat down with Fabio Sanchez, Crime Gun Intelligence Sergeant at the City of Miami Police Department, Yaneisy Delgado, Intelligence Analyst at the Miami-Dade Police Department, and Kevin Armbruster, retired Lieutenant with the Milwaukee Police Department , to discuss how their agencies utilize ballistics evidence and cross-agency collaboration to improve gun violence investigations in the greater Miami area.

When a fatal or non-fatal shooting occurs, investigators can submit ballistics evidence to the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, or NIBIN, which will generate potential associations with other firearm cases in the area. Law enforcement agencies in Miami, Florida have developed best practices for utilizing NIBIN and other information-sharing techniques to drastically reduce gun violence rates in one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States. Listen along as Fabio, Yaneisy, and Kevin describe their agencies’ methods for quickly and effectively entering data into NIBIN, using social media and other analyses to track patterns in case evidence, and the importance of information sharing and collaboration for preventing gun violence.

This episode is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (Award No. 15PBJA-21-GK-04008-JAGP). This project is supported by Grant No. 15PBJA-21-GK-04008-JAGP awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Some content in this podcast may be considered sensitive and may evoke emotional responses, or may not be appropriate for younger audiences.

Just Science · Just Using Forensic Intelligence To Solve Gun Violence Cases

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Episode Citation

Brinton, J., Armbruster, K., Sanchez, F., & Delgado, Y. (2023, December 8). Just Science. Just Using Forensic Technology to Solve Gun Violence Cases. [Audio podcast episode]. U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance. https://forensicrti.org/just-science-episode-270/

Related Resources

If your agency is interested in participating, please send an email to caseclosed@rti.org.

Guest Biography

Lt. Kevin Armbruster is an independent consultant, currently assisting the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), working with 40+ cities across the U.S., conducting site assessments to implement best practices for violent crime reduction techniques, organizational change, and improved community engagement practices within the cities. Lt. Armbruster has also presented throughout the U.S. and internationally on Violent Crime Reduction Techniques, Victim/Witness Cooperation, and Use of Technology and Community Engagement/Outreach by Law Enforcement. He has 32 years in investigations, working in homicide, organized crime and the Fusion Center, supervising the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Secret Service Task Forces, and serving as the Bomb Squad Commander. Previously, Lt. Armbruster created and led the operational units of the nationally recognized National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) program at the Milwaukee Police Department (PD) in Wisconsin to combat violent crime in the area. He retired from the Milwaukee PD in 2018.

Yaneisy Delgado is an Intelligence Analyst currently assigned to the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) Forensic Services Division. She has been employed by the MDPD for seven years, including one year as a Real-Time Crime Center Specialist (RTCCS) and four years in her current role as Intelligence Analyst. She is responsible for generating Crime Gun Event Reports that translate the information generated from forensic analyses to actionable intelligence. Her work assists in disrupting the cycle of violence by identifying key subjects connected to gun crime events linked through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). Ms. Delgado serves on multiple multi-jurisdictional task forces composed of investigators, high ranking law enforcement personnel, federal and state prosecutors, and other criminal justice stakeholders. Her expertise in combining traditional and forensic data sets has been a transformative force in the way gun crimes are investigated in Miami-Dade County.

Sgt. Fabio Sanchez is a Sergeant with the Miami Police Department (MPD). Sgt. Sanchez has been with the MPD for 25 years, 17 of which were in an investigative capacity, working on cases ranging from burglary to economic crimes, homicide, public corruption and public affairs. In September of 2019, Sgt. Sanchez led the implementation of MPD’s Crime Gun Intelligence Initiative, which includes an in-house NIBIN program for the city of Miami. His team’s automatic process for entering evidence into NIBIN has been crucial for streamlining and improving gun violence investigations.

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Episode 270 | Just Using Forensic Intelligence to Solve Gun Violence Cases

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