Crime Gun Investigative Units: Using Modern, Innovative Firearm Investigative Techniques to Greatly Reduce Violent Crime Numbers

Saturday, October 14, 2023

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM PST

Location: Room: 5AB

Submitter and Speaker(s)

Jerry Alkire

Law Enforcement Coordinator
U.S. Department of Justice, United States Attorney's Office for Western District of Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana, United States

Speaker(s)

Robert Lummus

Regional Commander, Bureau of Investigation
Louisiana State Police
Bossier City, Louisiana, United States
Jamilla Bynog

Assistant United States Attorney
U.S. Department of Justice, United States Attorney's Office for Western District of Louisiana

During summer 2021, the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, and the Louisiana State Police assisted area law enforcement with the creation of a highly trained crime gun investigative unit to help curb the record-breaking pace of violent crime and murder that was gripping the communities in and around Shreveport, Louisiana. The eight-man Violent Crime Abatement Team (VCAT) is highly trained in the use of the most innovative investigative techniques, which are used to target the area’s most violent offenders and build rock solid firearm cases. The year of 2021 went on to become Shreveport, Louisiana’s most violent year in history and ended with 91 homicides. The following year (2022), which was the first full year of VCAT’s efforts, the murder rate fell 46% to 49 homicides.