Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The Springfield Firearms Task Force, a collaboration between the Springfield Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, aims to investigate and prosecute violent firearm crimes.

Springfield Police Chief Ken Scarlette and Christopher Amon, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Chicago Field Division, formally announced the initiative Thursday.

Operational since last fall, the task force has already made arrests and filed charges, including indictments for felony gun possession and unlawful machine gun possession.

The task force investigations target felons illegally possessing firearms, drug traffickers with firearms, and those using devices – known as switches – that convert semi-automatic firearms into machine guns. They also aim to identify and prosecute “straw purchasers” who buy guns for others.

An important tool in their efforts is the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network. Administered by the ATF, NIBIN uses automated ballistic imaging to match shell casings from crime scenes, helping connect shootings across jurisdictions nationwide.