Federal, state, and local officials gathered in Owensboro on Thursday for specialized training on crime gun intelligence, part of a statewide effort to strengthen firearms investigations and reduce violent crime.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Louisville Division partnered with the Owensboro Police Department to host the program, which offered eight hours of accredited training for officers and prosecutors. The course was endorsed by the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training and the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council, marking the first time it has received statewide approval.
ATF Special Agent in Charge John Nokes stated that the course focuses on helping officers utilize crime gun intelligence to connect evidence and solve cases.
“This is a training course that we’re putting on across the state. We’ve got about six scheduled for the remainder of the year,” Nokes said. “It’s accredited through the Department of Criminal Justice Training, so the officers that are here are actually receiving eight hours of in-service credit, which is important to them.”
He explained how the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) provides real-time connections between shell casings and firearms used in crimes across the country.
“If there’s a crime tonight in Owensboro, that shell casing can be entered into the program,” he said. “Within about a day, investigators are gonna get the information back that may say that same firearm was also used in Central City last month, or in St. Louis, Missouri, or Los Angeles, California.”
Owensboro Police Chief Arthur Ealum said the training equips officers with the tools needed to prosecute violent offenders.
“Gun violence is a real thing, and if you want to attack and address gun violence, our people need to be skilled at it,” Ealum said. “Criminals are not slow to develop their skill set, so we just have to try to keep up with them, or try to outpace them whenever we can.”
He said the technology has already proven valuable locally.
“Tracing evidence and getting reports back from ATF analysts showed us one case where we found a shell casing or a weapon here, and it was used in a crime in Chicago. NIBIN gives us that opportunity to see that you know that evidence was there,” Ealum said.
ATF officials also highlighted emerging challenges in gun violence investigations, including the rise of illegal machine gun conversion devices.
“We’re seeing a lot of, in the Louisville area, machine gun conversion devices, for instance. That’s a major problem,” Nokes said. “Those firearms are equipped with an illegal device that allows them to fire 30 rounds in less than two seconds. So that’s a real challenge for law enforcement.”
Nokes said another concern is how criminals are getting their weapons.
“There are various ways. We see a lot of times it’s thefts from vehicles,” he said. “Unfortunately, that’s a big source of crime guns — also break-ins from gun stores, and sometimes just the black market. People will go to a gun show or they’ll buy from a neighbor, and they don’t do the process to make sure they’re not prohibited. Then that firearm ends up in some type of crime.”
He urged responsible gun ownership, noting that stolen firearms are often difficult to track.
“Oftentimes, when those firearms are stolen out of vehicles or from your residence, the victim of that crime was unable to tell us the serial number. Without that serial number, there’s only so much law enforcement can do,” Nokes said.
Nationally, both Nokes and Ealum said statistics have shown a downward trend in violent crime since 2021, but they cautioned that guns remain a pressing issue.
“Back during COVID, we saw an increase in gun crime, and those numbers have steadily dropped since 2021 and 2022,” Ealum said. “Nationally, gun crime and violent crime has decreased, and NIBIN has given us the opportunity to help stay on that trend.”
Nokes added that Kentucky is considered a “source state” because firearms are easier to purchase here than in some neighboring states.
“What we’re seeing is a lot of the firearms that are purchased in Kentucky are ending up in other places,” he said. “We’ve got active investigations right now where firearms purchased in Kentucky are ending up in cartel hands in South America.”
He noted that state-level legislation lags behind in some areas.
“Machine gun conversion devices are still not prohibited at the state level in Kentucky. It’s a federal crime, and we’re doing a good job prioritizing that. However, I think more could be done on legislative problems at the state level,” Nokes said.
U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner, who represents the Western District of Kentucky, said the training reflects the strength of collaboration among agencies.
“What we’re doing today is a federal and state partnership at its finest,” Bumgarner said. “Owensboro Police Department and our other local and state agencies are on the front line of combating violent crime across the Commonwealth. These are the men and women who get up every day and truly are on the streets fighting violent crime.”
He added that federal prosecutors can bring additional resources and sentencing authority to cases.
“We’re joining resources, and we’re coming for you,” Bumgarner said. “People need to feel safe going to school. They need to feel safe running their businesses. They need to feel safe going to churches or places of faith. And when you join forces between federal, state, and local agents, we’re going to make sure that that happens.”
The Owensboro event followed a session in Paducah earlier this week, with future trainings planned in Hopkinsville, Lexington, and other cities across Kentucky and West Virginia.
