NIBIN

In 1999, ATF established the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to provide federal, state, and local partner agencies with an automated ballistic imaging network. NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is vital to any violent crime reduction strategy, because it provides investigators the ability to compare their ballistics evidence against evidence from other violent crimes on a national, regional and local level, thus generating investigative links that would rarely be revealed absent the technology.

Since the program’s inception in 1999, NIBIN partners have captured approximately 3.6 million images of ballistic evidence and have confirmed more than 127,000 NIBIN leads, but the true performance metric of NIBIN is the successful arrest and prosecution of shooters.

According to ATF, "NIBIN embodies the collaboration of law enforcement for the sole purpose of identifying and prosecuting shooters that prey upon our communities. Its effectiveness hinges upon the timely entry of ballistic evidence, intelligence referrals, and immediate investigative follow up. This program embodies teamwork, collaboration, and transparency."