NCJ Number
168247
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 24 Issue: 10 Dated: (October 1997) Pages: 108,110,112,114
Date Published
1997
Length
4 pages
Annotation
A re-engineering effort initiated by the New York Police Department (NYPD) in 1994 is professionalizing and streamlining the entire police department.
Abstract
The NYPD's Ballistics Laboratory has acquired advanced technology for mining bullets and cartridge casings and has improved the ballistics examination process. Most of the progress is attributed to the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS), an automated image analysis system for acquiring, storing, and analyzing images of bullets and cartridge casings and comparing them to similar evidence in the database. Ballistics detectives work around the clock at computer work stations to analyze images and identify possible matches. The computerized process is straightforward and extremely fast. Using the process, the NYPD can compare nearly every gun, cartridge casing, and bullet that comes into the Ballistics Laboratory. Potential matches are ranked numerically on the IBIS printout, with the highest number showing the strongest correlation. Because of the success of IBIS, many more police investigators are becoming interested in the system as an aid to their investigations. 1 photograph and 1 figure