The Justice Department’s budget request includes extra funds and staff for a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives national ballistics crime-fighting network, FCW reported Feb. 13.
The 2019 budget proposal released Feb. 12 would provide $8.9 million and seven new positions for ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). The network’s database contains unique images of tool marks from fired bullets and spent cartridge cases. The network comprises 150 stations where federal, state and local law enforcement organizations can upload ballistics images to a system that can identify them.
The 2019 funding would let ATF push NIBIN services to 25 to 30 more sites, add training, improve hardware and software, and prepare for further expansion in 2021.
Read more at FCW.
