[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 135 (Tuesday, October 15, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10438-S10439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         THE NATIONAL INTEGRATED BALLISTICS INFORMATION NETWORK

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I wish to bring the National Integrated 
Ballistics Information Network or NIBIN to the attention of my 
colleagues. NIBIN is an interconnected, computer-assisted ballistics 
imaging system that allows forensic firearms examiners to obtain 
computerized images of the unique marking made on bullets and casings 
when a gun is fired. Through NIBIN, investigators can rapidly compare 
these markings with images in the database of Federal, State, and local 
law enforcement laboratories. Law enforcement officials can then link 
evidence from multiple crime scenes, identify patterns of criminal 
activity, and possibly lead investigators to the arrest of suspects.
  As an investigative instrument, ballistics imaging complements crime 
gun tracing. Crime gun tracing consists of tracking the history of a 
gun used to commit a crime. By tracing crime guns, the Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms helps State and local law enforcement 
agencies solve firearms-related crime by identifying suppliers of 
multiple-crime guns, and gun trafficking patterns. According to an ATF 
report, since March 2000, the NIBIN in coordination with crime gun 
tracing efforts has produced more than 8,800 ballistics matches, 
linking over 17,600 crime scenes. Some of these matches would not have 
been made without the use of a computer-assisted ballistics imaging 
system.

[[Page S10439]]

  I believe that the NIBIN should be expanded, and that is why I have 
cosponsored the Ballistics, Law Assistance, and Safety Technology Act 
or BLAST which would require licensed firearms manufacturers to test 
fire firearms, prepare ballistics images of fired bullets and casings 
of new firearms. Expanding NIBIN to include these ballistics images 
would increase ATF's crime gun tracing capabilities. ATF agents could 
quickly identify firearms even when criminals had obliterated the 
serial number by using the ballistics images of cartridge cases and 
bullets recovered at crime scenes. In fact, they could identify the 
firearm used in the crime without actually recovering that firearm. 
This bill contains strict provisions stating that ballistics 
information of individual guns may not be used for prosecutorial 
purposes unless law enforcement officials have a reasonable belief that 
a crime has been committed and that ballistics information would assist 
in the investigation of that crime.
  I believe this is sensible legislation that will strengthen law 
enforcement's ability to effectively track down criminals and I urge my 
colleagues to support it.

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