Dr. William King
Dr. William King, Associate Dean of Research and Program Development in the College of Criminal Justice, is featured on a National Institute of Justice online seminar on how law enforcement agencies can better use the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) in criminal investigations involving firearms.
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The seminar, Research for the Real World, is based on Dr. King’s study, “Opening the Black Box of NIBIN,” which discusses how NIBIN has been used by law enforcement agencies, the challenges faced by law enforcement in using the technology, and how NIBIN can be more valuable as an investigation tool. The seminar also features ATF Special Agent John Risenhoover.
Examining tool marks left on firearm cartridge cases can help identify when the same firearm was used in other crimes. NIBIN allows police departments and laboratories to add high-quality images of tool marks to a central database in order to help create links between firearms and crimes and provide more information to ongoing investigations. Hits in NIBIN help identify when the same gun was used in other crimes, a process that may offer possible leads, including crimes involving gang ‘community’ guns.