NCJ Number
183908
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 27 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2000 Pages: 58-60
Date Published
May 2000
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The FBI and ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) have teamed up to integrate their ballistics evidence into a nationwide database.
Abstract
In November 1999, the directors of the ATF and the FBI met with the attorney general and signed a memorandum of understanding to create a unified ballistics evidence system. Under the terms of the agreement, the ATF would use the basic technology of the IBIS machine (Integrate Bullet Identification System) and combine it with some functions specific to the Drug Fire system; these are the two systems currently used separately by the two agencies. Under the new program, the ATF will assume overall responsibility for all current and future system sites, and the FBI will establish and maintain a high-speed, secure communications network. The single, unified system, combined with a nationwide secure communications network, will form the backbone of a system capable of identifying the individual "fingerprint" left by virtually every gun after it has been used in a violent crime. Many law enforcement agencies and State police units already use the IBIS system. The plan is to expand its use so that every department in the United States has access to the machines and the system's steadily growing database. This article describes the process of building the database, how the system will impact crime, and the manufacturers' role. This article provides information on how to contact the companies mentioned in the article.