The Integrated Ballistics Identification System, or ''IBIS'', is the brand of the
Automated firearms identification
Automated Firearms Identification refers to the use of computers to automate the process of matching a piece of recovered ballistic evidence (which can be either bullets or cartridge cases, or fragments thereof), against a database.
Automated bal ...
system manufactured by Forensic Technology WAI, Inc., of Montreal, Canada.
Use
IBIS has been adopted as the platform of the
National Integrated Ballistic Information Network
The National Integrated Ballistic Information Network or NIBIN is a specialized computer network in the United States. It contains digital images of recovered pieces of ballistic evidence.
Running on the Integrated Ballistic Identification Syste ...
(NIBIN) program, which is run by the United States
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as the ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and prevent ...
(ATF). NIBIN tracks about 100,000 guns used in crimes.
The integration of technology into about 220 sites across the continental US and its territories facilitates sharing of information between different law enforcement groups. The rapid dissemination of ballistics information, in turn, allows for tracking of gun-specific information and connection of a particular firearm to multiple crimes irrespective of geographic location. A
National Research Council National Research Council may refer to:
* National Research Council (Canada), sponsoring research and development
* National Research Council (Italy), scientific and technological research, Rome
* National Research Council (United States), part of ...
report has found that with the NIBIN dataset, a bullet retrieved from a crime scene will generate about 10 possible matches, with about a 75-95% chance of a successful match.
While some groups have advocated laws requiring all firearms sold be test-fired and registered in such a system, success has been mixed. In 2005, a Maryland State Police report recommended a law requiring all handguns sold in the state be registered in their IBIS system be repealed, as at the cost of $2.5 million the system had not produced "any meaningful hits".
The Maryland system was shut down in 2015 due to its ineffectiveness. By 2008, the New York COBIS system, which costs $4 million per year,
had not produced any hits leading to prosecutions in 7 years of operation. The system has been more successful when used to track guns used by and found on criminals.
In Television
IBIS is frequently mentioned in modern television programs, fictional and otherwise, that use forensics to aid in solving crimes. These television shows include
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', also referred to as ''CSI'' and ''CSI: Las Vegas'', is an American procedural forensics crime drama television series that ran on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons. This wa ...
and its spinoffs, amongst others. Forensic Technology helped develop an interactive exhibit, 'CSI: The Experience' that showcased the company's technology.
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See also
* National Ballistics Intelligence Service
The National Ballistics Intelligence Service, or NABIS, is a British intelligence service dedicated to managing and providing detailed information regarding firearm-related criminality. The service aims to use its database to store ballistics i ...
, a similar body in the United Kingdom
References
{{Reflist
External links
1. https://web.archive.org/web/20070711154331/http://www.nibin.gov/ is the official Web site for the NIBIN, the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network.
2. http://www.fti-ibis.com is the Web site for the developer and supporter of IBIS technology, Forensic Technology Incorporated.
Ballistics
Forensic software