The Wichita State University Crime Gun Intelligence Training and Education Project

The proposed project aims to build on WSU’s existing structure and curriculum with defined objectives as well as building on funding from BJA’ CGI training and education grant awarded to WSU.  In keeping with its tradition of innovation and forward thinking, WSU would utilize grant funding, if awarded, to enhance existing efforts to build student curriculum at the graduate and undergraduate level to prepare next generation professionals in firearm ballistics comparison technology, supporting technology, and application to case development and prosecution. This project will seek to develop certificates and other non-degree opportunities for highly effective teaching on these impactful topics. This objective will continuously look for innovative opportunities to instruct such as scenario-based activity, case studies, and field study on site with state and local police and criminal laboratories.

The proposed project aims to build on WSU’s existing structure and curriculum with defined objectives and building on funding from BJA’s Crime Gun Intelligence training and education grant awarded to WSU. WSU would utilize grant funding to enhance existing efforts to build student curriculum and create new educational offerings for advanced degrees, certificate, non-degree opportunities to prepare next generation professionals. This objective will look for innovative opportunities to instruct scenario-based activity, case studies, and field study on site with state, and local police and criminal laboratories.

We will strengthen WSU's partnerships with the Wichita Police Department, ATF, Sedgwick County, and U.S. District Attorney’s Offices to create a comprehensive training curriculum in NIBIN, Crime Gun Intelligence, Forensic Science, and firearms trafficking.  Our outreach will include training at different sites in-person, regionally and across the nation. This initiative aims to provide law enforcement and prosecutors with education on ballistic evidence recovery and timely NIBIN entry. With ATF’s advances in recovering DNA from cartridge casings, we have a unique opportunity to collaborate on training that enhances forensic processing in criminal investigations. WSU will host the National Firearms Examiner Academy, the leading training program for firearms examiners in the U.S.

            This project will add to WSU’s applied learning and internship opportunities for criminal justice and forensic science students. The relocation of the ATF Forensic Laboratory to the WSU campus occurring during the performance period of this funding will provide new internship opportunities to a wider range of WSU students to include master’s degree offerings in Firearms, Forensic Science Biology, Forensic Accounting, and certificates in DNA and Forensic Laboratories. This project will provide resources to accelerate the creation of these programs.

WSU will enhance its existing applied learning and internship programs which has placed with numerous students in law enforcement and criminal intelligence positions at the local and federal level 2023-24. This project will create opportunities for future practitioners in these fields to gain unique insight and experience.

This project will bolster WSU’s ability to create training for educators and law enforcement around the country. Through WSU’s existing “Train the Educators” program, this project will create enhanced educator training to replicate WSU’s success on crime gun intelligence, NIBIN, and forensics while extending our reach with training to other academic programs through visitation of the campus and with WSU’s Executive staff.