Prior to December of 1999 the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) had no way of communicating with one another regarding ballistic evidence found at crime scenes. The FBI was utilizing a system called Drugfire while the ATF were using the Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS). Determining if a bullet casing found at the scene of a crime was linked to any other crimes required sending the actual evidence between these two systems in order to determine any connections.

In 1997, the FBI and the ATF decided to develop a system that was compatible so that all firearms information would be available to both agencies. Both the FBI and the ATF, with the FBI being in charge of the communications network and the ATF assuming command of field operations, would manage the system, called the National Integrated Ballistic Identification System.

This System allows for bullets to be scanned into the system with a machine called the IBIS Trax, this machine takes 2-D images of a bullet casing and produces within the Identification System as a 3-D object, allowing two objects to be compared together on the screen. If a hit is made, then the comparison is verified physically by the agent or officer in charge with the actual evidence and a microscope.

The National Integrated Ballistic Identification System is divided amongst 16 regions and is physically located at two hundred and twenty two sites across the Untied States. This is used by law enforcement agencies across the country for purposes of identifying bullet casings from crime scenes. The Integrated Ballistic Identification System has allowed law enforcement agencies to communicate via one system without losing site of their evidence and also allows them to better solve cases and find connections between cases.

While not every law enforcement agency has such a system on-site, there are now enough of these around the country for the law enforcement agency to find a location in close vicinity in which to compare their evidence.

There is no doubt that an Integrated Ballistic Identification System is a benefit to law enforcement agencies everywhere, however without the National Integrated Ballistic Identification System these systems would stand alone and much of what has been accomplished over the last nine years would not have been possible without it. It is a small wonder that law enforcement agencies across the country are requesting that such systems be installed in their facilities as well.

Trevor Kassulke owns and operates Identification Systems and Sound System Taxi ID

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