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Joseph Vince has been accepted as an expert in Federal Court with regards to firearms-related violent crime, often interpreting crime-gun and other crime data for both judges and juries. He is a nationally- and internationally-known crime-gun/law enforcement expert, being quoted in several publications, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Washington Times, USA Today and other national and international publications. He has appeared on 60 Minutes, CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX and PBS, as well as local television stations across the U.S. and internationally in Canada, Great Britain and Japan, commenting on crime and law enforcement.
Vince currently serves as the Director, Criminal Justice Programs at Mount St. Mary's University. He is also the President of Crime Gun Solutions LLC, a private company dedicated to assisting and training law enforcement and other groups.
Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Vince received his B.A. from Youngstown State University and a master's degree from the University of Detroit, both in the field of criminal justice management. He has published several articles in law enforcement periodicals and was a contributing writer for The Encyclopedia of Police Science.
Vince has lectured at various universities and law enforcement academies around the world, as well at seminars for both private and public organizations. In 1996, he was the recipient of three vice-presidential Hammer Awards for technological advances in the use of information to make government work more efficiently. And was also a finalist in the Innovations in Government Award from Harvard University and the Ford Foundation for his work in Firearms Interdiction Strategies. He supervised and assisted in writing several studies under the Presidential Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative in the late 1990s, which are still being utilized by academics and law enforcement officials.
Vince's law enforcement career, spanning more than 30 years, reveals his hard work and focus in getting guns off the street. He spearheaded the idea of comprehensive crime-gun tracing and analysis and was the innovator for the Youth Crime-Gun Interdiction Initiative (1996). As an ATF Special Agent in Detroit and Flint, Mich., Vince worked many of his investigations undercover-purchasing large quantities of firearms, explosives, narcotics and stolen property. The majority of these investigations were multi-state in nature where violators ran the gamut from traditional organized crime figures, major narcotic distributors, domestic terrorists and extremely violent offenders. Vince received recognition and citations from local and state law enforcement agencies for this work and was presented ATF's Gold Star Award for bravery and wounds sustained in executing a Federal search warrant on a violent narcotics dealer.
He has held several positions within the ATF, both in the field and at Headquarters, including field Special Agent in Charge; Special Agent in Charge, Intelligence Division; and Chief, Firearms Division. His last assignment involved creating the Bureau's Crime Gun Analysis Branch and becoming its first chief.
As Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Miami Field Division, Vince's duties included managing major investigations targeting international and interstate offenders. Specific examples of these investigations are: the attempt by IRA operatives to purchase hand-held missiles to smuggle into Great Britain from ATF undercover special agents; the largest interstate/international round-up of Jamaican Organized Crime members (243); the apprehension of violent Colombian home-invaders that were killed attempting to shoot ATF undercover special agents; and a myriad of smuggling operations focusing on firearms traveling from Miami to Caribbean and South American countries.
Due to Vince's vast experience involving the diversion of firearms for illegal purposes, he was appointed the United States' representative to the United Nations Working Group on Small Arms Proliferation. This group was tasked with devising a comprehensive plan to enable nations to work together in thwarting the flow of small arms to criminals and terrorists. Vince was also assigned to work with Lieutenant General Marc A. Cisneros, Commanding General, Fifth U.S. Army, with regard to stemming the flow of firearms to narcotic cartels in Mexico. The successful performance of Vince in these international areas lead to his assignment to the U.S. negotiating team under the direction of the Office of National Drug Policy concerning obtaining an agreement with Mexico regarding the cross border transportation of drugs and guns by cartels and insurgents. Vince, an arms trafficking expert by now, was also tasked with providing training to foreign law enforcement officials in Europe, South America and Mexico.
As Chief, Firearms Enforcement Division, Vince worked on a daily basis with members of the Firearms Industry at perfecting the safe handling of firearms by citizens. During the Clinton Administration, he was the Bureau's chief advisor on these matters and his division formulated and issued ATF's first Safety and Security Publication to the industry. During this time period, he advocated the use of trigger locks and other safe storage measures and convinced many retail dealers to utilize trigger locks when displaying firearms. Such safety measures have proven to be effective in saving lives and thwarting criminal access.
Upon retirement, Vince received the Treasury Department's Albert Gallatin Award for Distinguished Service. He has served on the State and Local Law Enforcement Advisory Board (SLLEAB) for the Counterdrug Intelligence Executive Secretariat (CDX) with the U.S. Department of Justice and as a peer reviewer for the National Institute of Justice, Department of Justice and other academic and professional journals. He is currently a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and sits on the Firearms Committee. In June 2013, he became a member of the American Bar Association's Task Force studying 'Stand Your Ground Laws'.
M.A., University of Detroit (1979)
B.A., Youngstown State University
1997 Innovations in American Government, presented by the Ford Foundation and the John F. Finalist Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University for work on the project "Disarming the Criminal"
1996 Vice Presidential Hammer Award, three awards were presented for innovations in Federal Firearms Enforcement
1997 ATF Gold Star Award Awarded for wounds received in action
Numerous other awards and recognition have been presented throughout 27 years of service for the United States Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms by the United States Government and by other law enforcement agencies for quality investigative work and courageous leadership.
Crime/Intelligence Analysis, Firearms-related Crime, Criminal Investigation.
“The Solution to the Epidemic of Firearm Thefts from Licensed Dealers,” IACP Police Chief. 2019
“Firearms Training & Self-Defense: Does the Quality and Frequency of Training Determine the Realistic Use of Firearms by Citizens for Self-Defense,” Study Prepared for the National Gun Victims Action Council, Chicago, IL. 2015
Evidence Collection Toolbox & Field Guide, Criminal Justice textbook and field guide, Jones & Bartlett. 2005
1998 Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative, Crime Gun Analysis Reports of the Illegal Youth Firearms Markets in 27 Communities
1997 Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative, Crime Gun Analysis Reports of the Illegal Youth Firearms Markets in 17 Communities
1992 Protecting America: The Effectiveness A Study by The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Of the Federal Armed Career Criminal Firearms, United States Department of the Treasury Statutes
1986 The Encyclopedia of Police Science, Contributing writer
1983 "MERT - Response for the 80's" Law Enforcement Periodical
1980 "Achievement Through Cooperation" Nebraska Law Enforcement Magazine
Authored or managed numerous studies and reports for ATF, which were utilized by the White House, Congress other law enforcement agencies for policy and strategic matters.
WBUR Boston - Interview "Reactions To Las Vegas Shooting, From security to Social Media"