HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 23-0756 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 23-0756
October 10, 2023
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
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rrn SUBJECT: POLICE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATIVE PROCEDURES INVOLVING
STOLEN FIREARMS
The purpose of this informal report is to discuss the Police Department's investigative procedures as they
pertain to stolen firearms, releasing firearms, and the intelligence function.
Stolen Firearms
When a firearm is abandoned or potentially involved in a criminal offense, the firearm will be run through the
Police Information Center (PIC) to determine whether the firearm has been reported stolen. If the firearm is
reported to be stolen,then an investigation will be conducted, and the firearm will be confiscated. All firearms
received will be entered into E-Trace, an ATF-managed database that attempts to identify the history and
original purchaser of the gun. The firearm is also run through the National Integrated Ballistic Information
Network(NIBIN). NIBIN matches fired cartridge casings to the guns from which they were fired and attempts
to link them to shootings. After a thorough investigation, cases that involved a stolen firearm with an
identified owner will be returned. If the firearm is labeled as evidence, then it will be kept in the property
room until the case is fully adjudicated through the courts.
Releasing Firearms
The property room staff will send a certified letter to the lawful owner. When the owner arrives to claim the
firearm, he/she will be identified by a current government identification card, and a criminal history check
will be completed by PIC before the firearm is released. Prior to any firearm being released from the property
room, the property room staff will check that the firearm is not the subject of any other pending criminal case.
If a stolen and recovered firearm is not claimed by the owner after a certified letter has been sent and
attempts have been made to contact the owner, then it will be destroyed after 90 days.
Intelligence Function
The recent approval of two NIBIN analysts will better assist the department in handling cases where a firearm
was discharged. The two new analysts will be tasked with researching NIBIN and E-Trace leads to create
workable intelligence for officers and detectives working on shooting investigations. For example, a NIBIN
lead can provide the investigator with information that a particular firearm was used in multiple offenses or
identify individuals linked to a group of gun offenses. The police department also has a Gun Violence Unit
that is assigned to the majority of cases where a firearm has been discharged and a person was hit. This
is to improve our ability to link shootings together that occur throughout the city.
If you have any questions about the procedures involving the department investigating and handling stolen
firearms, or the budget for gun intelligence, please contact Chief Neil Noakes at
Neil.Noakes@fortworthtexas.gov or 817-392-4212.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS