Modular Shooting Range for the Firearms Detail NIBIN Squad

The purpose of this proposal is to request funds to purchase a modular two lane shooting range to be used by a newly formed “NIBIN Gun Squad”.

The National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) is a national computer database consisting of digital images of cartridge cases that were found at crime scenes or test-fired from confiscated firearms. NIBIN is overseen by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) and is the only interstate automated ballistic imaging and comparison network in operation in the United States.

The cartridge case comparisons performed in NIBIN result in “Hits” which provide actionable investigative leads to detectives investigating firearm related crimes.
As reducing violent crimes is an ongoing Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) initiative, the Forensic Lab’s mission is to increase the number of firearms that are entered into the NIBIN database. This increase in entries will result in a greater number leads by linking crime scenes to a specific gun used during the commission of that crime. As such, the Forensic Lab has created a NIBIN Gun Squad to streamline the entry of guns into NIBIN.

Currently the NIBIN Gun Squad is comprised of light duty police officers who will test fire confiscated firearms for entry into NIBIN. A critical and essential component of this process is the purchase of a dedicated shooting range under the control of the LVMPD Forensic Lab. This range will enable the test firing of confiscated firearms and the recovery of the fired ammunition components in a safe and efficient manner. These test fired components (cartridge cases) will then be entered into NIBIN for comparison to crime scene cartridge cases already in the database. The requested funds will be used to purchase a modular and self-contained shooting range well suited to this task.

ca/ncf