New ballistics service launched
Tuesday, 01 April, 2008
Major boost for gun crime investigation
A new service to help speed up gun crime investigations has been launched this month.
The £8 million National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS) will offer cutting edge forensic tools and techniques to identify weapons and link gun crime incidents, helping police catch criminals quicker.
The service will roll-out incrementally starting this month and should be fully operational by September.
The state-of-the-art national database will operate from hubs in Birmingham, London and Manchester. It will feature a complete registry of all guns and ammunition recovered by police in England and Wales, ballistics comparison capability to link many crimes within 24 hours and intelligence data on suspects, weapons, crime scenes and incidents.
Scientists and technicians working for the NBIS will provide rapid intelligence to investigators to link gun crimes, and thus speed up criminal investigations. The intelligence gathered by NABIS will also help find and stop people importing and manufacturing illegal guns.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said, "I am determined to tackle gun crime and get guns off our streets. The new National Ballistics Intelligence Service gives us a vital new tool. For the first time, it will give a complete picture and detailed analysis of any guns and ammunition recovered from incidents.
"In linking bullets to guns and guns to incidents and to criminals, it will lift the curtain on the shady world of gun-toting criminals and gangs."
Initially, NABIS has been funded jointly by the Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), with an investment of £5.5 million. ACPO will also fund the service with an additional £2.5 million per year.
ACPO's David Shaw said, "The efficient intelligence that will be provided by NABIS will help the police to detect the perpetrators of gun crime quickly, allowing us to remove them and the guns from our streets.
"In time, this mechanism will help prevent gun crime and restore confidence and reassurance to communities across the country."
