In This Article
Introduction
The Joyce Foundation builds on last year’s Optimizing Crime Gun Intelligence report with a new resource designed for policymakers and advocates: Model State Policy for Requiring Law Enforcement Use of Crime Gun Intelligence Tools.
While the 2024 report evaluated how the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives' (ATF) crime gun intelligence tools are used and offered evidence‑informed recommendations to enhance their effectiveness, the new model guide shows emerging research and nationwide best practices, including a ready‑to‑adopt policy framework.
Background
ATF’s crime gun intelligence tools include eTrace, eTrace’s Collective Data Sharing (CDS) function, and the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), among others. In 2024, the Joyce Foundation obtained new data about the usage of these tools from ATF, including a full list of law enforcement agencies participating in eTrace and CDS systems (as of January 2024) and a full list of NIBIN sites. The NIBIN sites include the amount of ballistic evidence entered per site, and the average processing time for lead generation. Learn more here.
When used comprehensively and effectively, these tools have been shown to increase clearance rates for gun crimes ranging from homicide to aggravated assault, disrupt the supply of crime guns, and prevent future acts of gun violence. As of 2024, the three states with the highest levels of participation in ATF’s eTrace tool (New Jersey, Virginia, and North Carolina) all have state laws requiring law enforcement agencies to trace all recovered crime guns. However, as of 2025, only 14 states have enacted a version of a policy that requires tracing of crime guns (see the map below).
2024 Informational Webinar
The Foundation hosted the authors of the 2024 report, Nasir Husain and Sarah Tofte, as well as Milwaukee Police Department Captain Phil Simmert, in a webinar to discuss the crime gun intelligence landscape and the report's key findings. They also discussed possible ways to strengthen the use and adoption of these tools in a fair and just way. To learn more and view the recording, click the button below.
Contact Information
Questions about this report can be addressed to [email protected].
Law enforcement agencies looking to begin using these crime gun intelligence tools should contact [email protected].
About The Joyce Foundation
Joyce is a nonpartisan, private foundation that invests in evidence-informed public policies and strategies to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region.