New software will give Virginia law enforcement state-of-the-art ballistics technology to more quickly establish leads following an incident involving a firearm. Agreements have been finalized with 10 cities throughout Virginia.
Law enforcement officers will be able to scan cartridge cases with a potable scanning device and upload the information to determine the casing type and minimum number of shells within minutes. The software will produce a report that groups the casings by number of unique firearms involved and identifies the best cartridge case(s) for entry into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, which is the only interstate automated ballistic imaging network in operation in the United States.
“I’m thrilled that we were able to secure funding, reach agreements, purchase and deliver this game changing technology to 10 Virginia cities,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares. “We’re hopeful that tools like this will help reduce crime in our communities.”
The Office of the Attorney General secured the funding for the program last year, and agreements have officially been finalized with the following cities:
- Newport News
- Henrico
- Chesapeake
- Virginia Commonwealth University Police Department
- Petersburg
- Hanover
- Norfolk
- Richmond
- Virginia Beach
- Hopewell
Advantages of the new software include:
- The probable cause standard is met in minutes instead of waiting for hours or days
- The BIQ machine has a 2- to 4-minute identification process
- It can identify thousands of casings created by 3D printer switches
- Training is uncomplicated, and multiple people can be trained at the same agency
- The unit is mobile
- It can compare known samples among seven city departments
“I’m thrilled that we were able to secure funding, reach agreements, purchase and deliver this game changing technology to 10 Virginia cities,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares. “We’re hopeful that tools like this will help reduce crime in our communities.”
Crystal Graham
