The briefing was delivered by the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, a program that collects shell casing evidence from crime scenes and pools it into a national database.
“This is a good step towards adopting strategies to reduce gun violence in Travis County,” Travis County Judge Andy Brown said in a press release. “These briefings will help Travis County learn more about preventing gun violence and assisting victims.”
The program—run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—automates the comparison of shell casings and finds a connection between shootings across the country.
“Every time a firearm fires a round, [it] leaves unique markings on that shell casing; it’s almost like fingerprints or DNA,” said Jeffrey Kennedy, group supervisor for the Crime Gun Intelligence Center.
The NIBIN compares these shell casings and can determine with 98% accuracy if two shell casings were fired from the same gun.
When two shell casings match, they are investigated by a forensic specialist to link shooting events to one another.
Commissioner Jeff Travillion said he is keen on expanding the program.
“It is important to note and recognize that gun violence death still remains the No. 1 cause of [non]accidental death in Travis County, and the majority of victims are people of color,” Commissioner Jeff Travillion said.
Kennedy said that e-Tracing, a process that shows the lifecycle of a gun from the time it was purchased until it is recovered in a crime, should be used in tandem with the NIBIN as the two primary tools to solve gun crime.
The NIBIN is active in the Austin Police Department; however, its ability to use the program is limited due to a lack of resources and a backlog of cases, Travis County District Attorney José Garza said.
The average time to enter shell casing information into the NIBIN in Travis County is 78 days, and the goal is to enter it in 48 hours, Garza said.
Travis County commissioners will meet again Sept. 13 to discuss expanding the program.
“We have tried to be as clear as we can that if you pick up a gun, pull the trigger and take someone’s life in this community, you will be arrested and will be held accountable,” Garza said.
