NCJ Number
196883
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 69 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2002 Pages: 41,43,45
Editor(s)
Charles Higgenbotham
Date Published
September 2002
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article reports on vital technology that has been developed through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) program, by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), which gives State and local law enforcement agencies access to ballistic imaging and comparison equipment known as the Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS) to solve firearm-related violent crime.
Abstract
IBIS alerts law enforcement to potential links between crimes by providing original bullet and cartridge casing evidence from thousands of cases in minutes. This program will be fully deployed in late 2002, with equipment being installed in approximately 237 sites in all States. Whether or not a county or city law enforcement agency receives equipment directly, law enforcement agencies can gain valuable investigative information from the system by working out agreements to have their evidence entered in other cities or at their State agencies, generating information sharing and making cross-jurisdictional hits on the system possible. As information concerning each hit has the potential of damaging a case if it becomes public knowledge, ATF works with partner agencies to safeguard such information. ATF purchases and deploys the equipment, and provides upgrades and service to IBIS units, plus training to users. Participation in the NIBIN program also helps State and local agencies gain access to the variety of other services and expertise that ATF can provide, including regional gun centers and gun tracing, with the capacity of producing innumerable new leads with minimal need for additional police resources. This program also can safeguard Americans against terrorism, as IBIS has equipment in use in 27 countries, and ATF is exploring the possibility of creating an international network to allow nations to share terrorism-related firearms information. In conclusion, it is noted that through the IBIS program the ATF accomplishes a strategic goal, that of removing violent offenders from the streets of America.