The investigative team uses the shell casing received from the crime scene. It enters them into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network for comparison with other guns present in the database. National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) is a nationwide database of high-resolution images of shell casting, managed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosions. For many decades, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives agency has helped the criminal justice system regulate all forms of firearms, tobacco, alcohol, and explosions in the US. The research paper will explore the history of tracing firearms in the US and how the process helped the criminal investigation team create NIBIN to enhance firearms investigations. The report will further explore internal, external, and ballistic studies to determine how a specific firearm was used in crime and blasting the serial number on a weapon standard in the criminal investigation. Since technology is advancing rapidly, the paper will explore 3D-printed guns and other advancements in technology that threaten the effectiveness of the NIBIN.
History of Tracing Firearms in the US
The 73rd Congress, Session 2 established the National Firearm Act (NFA) in 1934 under Chapter 757, 48 Statue 1236. The act was established to regulate the possession of firearms and their registration. According to Krouse (2013), Congress established the bill following the attempted assassination of President Roosevelt in 1933. The act led to the taxation of firearms and regulated its ownership and regulations to prevent criminals from accessing the weapons. The rules of firearms oversaw regulations of firearms across the US, making it easier to identify an individual involved in crime. The NFA was modified in 1968 and changed its name to the Gun Control Act of 1968 (Krouse, 2013). The modification required documentation of any firearm regulation to be reported to ATF. The act also led to the inclusion of serial numbers in firearms for easy detection. The serial number also made it easy to monitor the identification of suspected criminals since ATF tracks and monitor the movement of firearms over a specific period. The NOIBIN database provides all the information on every registered gun, from particular features to its use in committing the crime.
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The initial tool used by law enforcement agencies to track firearms was the National Tracing Centre (NTC). NTC provided the criminal investigative team with vital information for investigating guin0related crimes. Also, NTC played a crucial role in regulating the regulation of domestic and international law enforcement agencies in crime resolutions. The Gun Control Act authorized NTC to use any vital information to aid in the investigation (ATF, 2015). NTC system helped detect the movement of firearms from the owner to the interstate and national level. The agency also comprises several other programs responsible for disseminating firearms and providing information that supports international law communities to prevent future crimes and illegal distribution of firearms. Also, the program is responsible for enhancing and building more excellent partnerships with foreign nations who were in the mission to combat violators. The Gun Control Act also allowed ATF to monitor the importation and exportation of firearms to curb firearms trafficking. Additionally, ATF was allowed to investigate further the manufacturing of firearms manufactured in other countries to ensure their effectiveness before being imported and sold in the public market. Among the information gathered on foreign manufacturing include the amount of ammunition permitted in every magazine and power held by each weapon. Confirmation that these foreign arms comply with the set standards enhances public safety.
Creation of NIBIN
National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) was established in the 1990s by the forensic agencies the Ballistic Identification System (IBIS) and Drugfire. The two programs combined to form NIBIN, which is currently the most extensive automated ballistic identification system that provides more accurate and faster ballistic identification for evidence ( Warlow, 2011) . Since the establishment of NIBIN, the number of crimes being committed reduced while the number of crimes solved has increased considerably. Also, the duration of solving crimes through forensic lab decreased significantly. NIBIN offers relevant support for law enforcement agencies, including international ones on forensic studies. Also, the agency provides expertise on firearms in the court to solve pending cases. The 10th Congress bill of 1999-2001 proposed that all newly manufactured and imported handguns be ballistically imaged ( Walton, 2006; Boesman & Krouse, 2001 ). The bill's passage was meant to make it easy for ATF to trace firearms used in crimes. 107th Congress opposed these measures since they would be one step towards regulations of national firearms which the public opposes.
As part of President Clinton's National Gun Enforcement Initiatives announced in January 2008, the government would continue funding NIBIN. NIBIN administration requested $30 million to run the database for that financial year. Congress approves $26 million for ATF to expand the activities of NIBIN and $1.4 million to oversee FBI telecommunications ( Boesman & Krouse, 2001) . The federal funding for ballistic imaging and also tripled. Ballistic imagine complements crime gun tracing by taking information on the history of a crime gun. The ballistic imaging capture computerized images of the bullet and cartridge and compare them with evidence retrieved at the crime scene. The information helps in identifying patterns of criminal activities and produce new leads. NIBIN comprises several interconnected computer networks, and data collected is shared nationally.
A significant division within the NIBIN is the Firearm and Ammunition Technology (FAT) division. FAT is responsible for providing technical expertise, authority over importing firearms, and expertise on-court issues dealing with weapons. Also, the division offers support to all law enforcement agencies across states. The division's primary role is to provide ballistic testing to determine whether the firearm was used in the crime. Also, the division provides short patterns, determines the distance of a gunshot, accidental discharge testing, compares toolmarks and other forensic investigations useful in crime investigations ( Boesman & Krouse, 2001 ). Before ruling any case on the use of firearms, the division should examine factors like whether the marks left on the casing match the casing of the ammunition and the projectile used. After these verifications, the experts use the NIBIN database to study microscopic levels to test the firearm to determine the exact match ( Walton, 2006 ). When an individual is arrested possessing a gun, the gun is tested then the casing entered into the NIBIN, where they retrieve the matches to determine whether the weapon was used to commit a crime. The database allows the investigation to take the shell casing through a highly detailed high-definition image and pick any marking that cannot be seeing using naked eyes. Studying the ballistic of the firearm allows forensic investigators to determine the origin of the weapon. The test determines whether the projectile trajectory matches with the one in the crime scene (Case et al., 2017). Also, the database manages to select the exact time, location, and reconstruction of the crime. Other experts widely use the expertise of the NIBIN database to enhance their knowledge of firearms.
Categories of Ballistics
Ballistics are categorized under internal, external and terminal ballistics studies. The investigative team uses the three studies within the commission of a crime. The patterns of wounds left behind / The NIBIN database contains all recorded ballistic information that is tested and evaluated on every firearm that has ever been created. NIBIN works with the investigative team to determine the actual firearm used in a crime by providing an opportunity for the investigative team to cross-check the type of firearm within the database and the registered owner ( National Research Council, 2008) . Impressed tool marks and striated tool marks are used to compare firearms and determine the exact one used in a crime. Impressed tool marks are made from the force of mechanics of a gun, creating enough energy resulting in an impression mark. Investigation team experts conduct numerous examinations to determine whether the indentation resulted from the firing pin that struck the ammunition case. The type of firearms used is confirmed using the height, indentation depth, and diameter. Striation tools arise from lines that created a fire ignition of the firearms' hammer ignite cartridge primer, which sends the projectile through the barrel. Marks are left at the tip of the brass casing, which the investigating team uses to track the criminal.
Internal Ballistics
Internal ballistics studies examine the activities that occur within the barrel of a firearm from when the firing pin hits the primer to the moment the bullet exit the barrel. Factors like powder, bullets, brass, and primers are considered since they impact the cartridge's performance (Shepard, 2001) . Also, within the internal ballistic, the study finds esoteric like primer ignition time, primer pressure temperature. In addition, internal ballistic determine variables like the amount of pressure generated at the gas port and how Pressure changes when the gun is exposed to varying temperatures ( Bryant, 2010) . Those individuals who are reloaders or handloader are more concerned with understanding the internal ballistics of a cartridge. The impact created on the surface is calculated by distance force and the diameter of the wound.
External Ballistics
External ballistics deals with studying the flight of a bullet after it leaves the barrel until it hit the target. In external ballistic, the investigative team explores various parameters like the shape of the shell, the sectional density, atmospheric pressure, and the earth's rotation, primarily where a large-caliber weapon is used. Hunters and shooters are known to seriously study external ballistics since it teaches them how to predict the projection of the bullet before shooting. As the distance between the shooter and the target increases, other significant variables also increase. Advancement in technology, especially the emergence of personal computers, has brought the study of external ballistics within the realm of an average person. Tools have changed measurements of the performance of external ballistics like doppler radar. External ballistics is mainly affected by air resistance, sectional density, and bullet shape (Shepard, 2001). When the air molecule strikes the projectile, it exerts opposing force that slows the shot down, leading to a shorter maximum range. Riffle bullets travel fasters than the speed of sound in the air leading to a sonic tearing as they get through the air. This factor makes silencers ineffective at long range since they travel at a velocity lesser than the speed of sound. Cross-sectional density determines the degree to which air resistance affects a projectile. The bullet gets tracked through the air in real-time, making it easy to measure distance and velocity. The ballistician then calculates a coefficient drag through the speed changes translated as a ballistic coefficient (Boesman & Krouse, 2001). Through advancements in technology, engineers make minute change to the bullet and see the effect.
Terminal ballistic
On the other hand, terminal ballistic studies the impact of the skin's surface or the behavior of a missile upon reaching the target. The study explores the effect of the projectile upon encountering a material that is denser than the air. Terminal ballistics considers three essential factors, e nergy, penetration, and expansion. The point minimized in the recoil present in internal ballistics needs to be maximized in internal ballistics to allow the bullet to hit the target with much energy. The higher the velocity of the projectile, the higher the damage on the target. Also, to take down the target, bullet penetration is crucial, just like energy. Terminal ballistic details the new surface that is penetrated and the reaction of the projectile after striking the target, and kinetic energy transferred to the target (Schyma, 2012). Over the last three decades, there have been significant strides aimed to defend handguns and rifle ammunition. The Federal Bureau Investigations (FBI) began focusing on improving the technology of bullets to offer better barrier penetration while maintaining lethality (Shepard, 2001) . The solution to this is the expansion to allow the shell to enter the target and deform. Various companies started to develop bullets that would score highest on the FBI Ammunition Protocol. In the 1990s, the FBI used 10mm to improve "stopping power." However, an improvement of terminal ballistics has made the FBI and other law enforcement agencies go back to the 9mm since it has a low recoiling rate, high magazine capacity, and easy to compare terminal ballistics to different pistol calibers. Rifle ammunition has improved significantly. The study found that the lack of "Stopping power” contributed to the death. Apart from studying the missile impact on the human body, terminal ballistics also reviews soil, water, and wood performance.
Functions and Challenges Faced by NiBIN
As part of their functions, NIBIN aids in tracing the history of the gun, which begins by gathering evidence from the crime scene and analyzing the evidence with investigators to determine the caliber make and model of the weapon. If a firearm is retrieved and the serial number is not obliterated, it indicates that the firearm moved through legal channels. Therefore, the firearm’s serial number will be used by ATF am Federal Firearms Licences (FFLs)to identify the criminal. FFLs’ transfer records like bound book log and ATF Form 4473s help ATF agents determine the gun owner ( Boesman & Krouse, 2001) . The agents contact the manufacturing company, the company that imported the guns, and wholesalers and retailers to acquire the transfer records. Through the information obtained, the ATF help local law enforcement agencies to solve firearms-related crimes, identify suppliers of guns and trafficking patterns. Expansion of the NIBIN role to include ballistic images of test of fired cartridge and bullets of newly produced and imported firearms increased the capability of STF. ATF agents can easily trace the user through the serial number. Also, the firearms used fin crime could be easily collected using ballistic images of cartridge cases and bullets. The information gathered would then be used to open a new investigation that would lead the person who used the gun.
A significant problem experienced when investigating the reported firm arms is the blasted serial number or registered numbers. In the NIBIN, a program called Obliterated Serial Number Program useful that aids in the recovery of blasted or hidden serial numbers. The criminal investigation uses the serial number to track the original owner of the firearm and solve any crime cases regarding the use of the weapon (Case et al., 2017). The investigative team uses the serial number to track the movement of the firearm, patterns of trafficking, and other criminal patterns that might be useful to track down the weapon. Many criminals use blasted serial numbers to ensure the gun is not easily tracked to the person who used it. Advancement in technology has improved NIBIN, making it possible for experts in forensic science to retrieve the blasted serials.
Advancement in technology has improved the manufacturing of firearms through the use of 3D technology. Today, various 3D-oriented gun models created in 3D printer machines from raw materials are being used. The 3D printer is designed from blueprints from Auto CAD programs; hence exact measurements of a lower receiver of a firearm that functions similar to a real gun are produced. These firearms created a problem for the NTF since the 3D printed laser gun became accessible through the internet. By selling these guns online, it became challenging for NIBIN to trace, monitor, and control the number of firearms manufactured illegally and being sold to criminals countrywide (Greenberg, 2013). Also, NIBIN found it challenging to successfully log data into the system since firearms produced using a 3D printer machine have unique characteristics that hard to determine.
Conclusion
In summary, the NIBIN database is best understood by tracing the history of ATF, which imposed several regulations to aid in investigations of a crime involving the use of firearms. The establishment of NIBIN increased the restriction of the use of firearms leading to reduced crimes. Although the ballistics imaging of crime scene evidence brought controversies on gun law, they have effectively helped law enforcement agencies solve thousands of crimes. Opponents of gun regulations are against using the NIBIN database and prohibits linking ballistics images through a centralized computer database of the guns and the identity of individuals who possess gins. Supported of the federal firearms control support the use of ballistically imaging to reduce illegal ownership of guns used by criminals.
References
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