JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville’s mayor, sheriff and state attorney got together Wednesday afternoon to talk about a new tool they're getting to help solve gun crimes.
It’s called IBIS, the Integrated Ballistics Identification System. It’s a high-resolution camera and computer system that works by scanning and identifying bullets, much like a fingerprint, which is then fed into a national database to link shootings.
NIBIN, the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, is run by federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF. It’s a nationwide database started in 1999 to track bullets and guns used in crimes, comparing them to evidence found at other shootings.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office detectives have been using the database for years, but they’ve had to send evidence to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime lab, which can sometimes take 12 to 18 months to process. Officials said the lab services several counties and is overloaded with evidence.
In February, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, Sheriff Mike Williams and State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced they were teaming up to install the IBIS Trax system that scans bullet casings – and guns found or seized. They said the cost to get it in place would be about $250,000, which has already been approved by Jacksonville’s City Council.
Earlier this month, leaders with JSO and the State Attorney’s Office, including Nelson, went to Denver to see how it works and learn about the success stories. News4Jax made the trip as well.
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Jacksonville law enforcement got an inside look at the Denver Police Department’s crime lab, showing the cutting-edge technology in action. It’s technology that federal agents say is nearly 100 percent accurate. Forensic detectives test bullet casings, and in some cases guns, from crime scenes.
“It really helps us in those instances where we have no information, like a drive-by of a house,” said Denver Police Department Sgt. Todd Bonfante, a leader of the gang unit and NIBIN task force.
Every firearm has a unique fingerprint -- a marking it leaves behind on each bullet fired.
“And there is only one,” ATF Supervisory Special Agent Christopher Amon explained. “You can have the same make, model that was manufactured the same day at the factory and it will leave a different marking which is identified by NIBIN.”
NIBIN uses high-resolution pictures of bullet casings and looks for links to other crimes. If the same gun was used in another shooting there’s a hit. Investigators can also use guns that were seized or found, test firing them to see if they match bullet casings.
The database has been successful across the country, which is why Nelson made the trip to learn how Colorado authorities use the system.
"We wanted to learn how prosecution partners, city partners and enforcement partners collaborated and how they integrated the technology with old fashioned law enforcement techniques," Nelson said Wednesday.
Curry and Williams were supposed to make the trip too, but their flights were canceled because of bad weather. So Wednesday, they got together with Nelson to talk about the future and what's next as they work to cut down on crime.
"We want the people of Jacksonville to know that their safety is our top priority," Curry said.
There's no word yet on when the technology will be in use.