NaBIS links more than 350 guns to crimes in first year

More then 350 guns have been linked with crimes in the first year that the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NaBIS) has been in operation.

In its first year of operation, NaBIS has received nearly 2,000 submissions from UK law enforcement agencies, these submissions have consisted of nearly 4,000 individual items.

Established in November 2008 by the Home Office and Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), NaBIS helps police forces solve crimes involving guns and helps track down people illegally importing, selling or modifying firearms.

Police forces and other law enforcement agencies can submit ballistic material to one of the NaBIS regional centres, where it can be linked to previous crimes and incidents within 48 hours, enabling police to establish crucial links within the initial hours of an investigation.

Because the number of guns in England and Wales is limited, NaBIS is able to find patterns amongst the use of weapons in different crimes.

A distinctive marking is left on the bullet every time a weapon is fired. When combined on the NaBIS database the marks reveal patterns of use across the country.

In most cases guns are tied to a particular region, but in some cases the same weapon is linked with separate shootings hundreds of miles apart.

Assistant Chief Constable Susannah Fish, ACPO lead on the criminal use of firearms, said: “NaBIS has been a huge step forward in the fight against gun crime, ACPO and the Home Office have created a truly national and integrated approach to tackling this type of crime.

“Nowhere else is the world is there a firearms service such as this. NaBIS is able to focus on science, intelligence and knowledge in a constructive and dynamic way. My message to communities is that we are dedicated to stamping out this type of crime and are working hard in delivering a joined up and effective response.”

Policing Minister David Hanson announced the figures earlier this week, saying: “Through state-of-the-art intelligence NaBIS has been instrumental in enabling the police to truly understand the extent and nature of gun crime in way not previously possible. This pioneering ballistics work has helped to bring ruthless criminals to justice and clamp down on the minority of people who use guns illegally.”