National Integrated Ballistic Information Network Program (NIBIN)
In the area of firearms enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) Strategic Plan is reduce gun violence. ATFís primary targets are suspects who illegally use firearms and/or supply guns to criminals or underage people. One tool aiding the ATF in this endeavor is the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) Program.
This program was developed to work in concert with all of the ATFís firearm enforcement initiatives. With the NIBIN Program, ATF has successfully integrated its expertise in the regulation of firearms industry and the effective enforcement of the Federal firearm laws with technological advances in the forensic ballistics examination field. This unique program uses all of the resources that ATF has to offer in working with our law enforcement counterparts to reduce firearm violence.
ATFís NIBIN Program employs the Integrated Ballistics Identification System to compare images of ballistic evidence (projectiles and cartridge casings) obtained from the crime scenes and recovered firearms. As new images are entered, the system searches the existing database for possible matches to other crimes. A firearm examiner must then validate these matches. As a result, this system has amassed a large ballistics image database filled with crime and gun data from all over the country from which Federal, State and Local law enforcement agencies can obtain information.
NIBIN Image from a cartridge case
