Mission Statement:
“To forensically identify and focus investigative, prosecutorial and community resources to remove and disrupt violent criminals, gangs and drug traffickers that plague our neighborhoods.”

The Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement Network (R.A.V.E.N.), established in 2018, is an ATF Task Force funded by the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and comprised of local, state, and federal agencies. Its specific mission is to identify and target violent criminals, gangs, and drug traffickers in our communities. To achieve this goal, R.A.V.E.N. uses sophisticated forensic techniques to gather evidence and coordinate investigative, prosecutorial, and community resources, with the ultimate aim of removing and disrupting violent offenders.

One of the most notable forensic technologies employed by R.A.V.E.N. is the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). This system allows R.A.V.E.N. to compare images of shell casings collected from crime scenes, potentially connecting crime scenes across multiple jurisdictions through NIBIN's correlation and analysis processes.

The R.A.V.E.N. team consists of highly skilled professionals, including special agents, detectives, analysts, forensic auditors, researchers, and laboratory personnel from over 16 different local, state, and federal organizations. This collaborative effort enables a multi-jurisdictional approach to combating and prosecuting violent crime, overcoming jurisdictional boundaries and enabling a more effective response to the challenges that our communities face.

In 2020, the Department of Justice recognized R.A.V.E.N. with a Project Safe Neighborhood national achievement award as an Outstanding Partnership and Task Force. This award highlights the significant impact of R.A.V.E.N. investigations which resulted in hundreds of violent offenders being arrested and prosecuted during its first two years of operation.

For media inquiries related to ATF Denver Field Division involvement with R.A.V.E.N., please contact Crystal.McCoy@atf.gov or 303-575-7611.