The North Carolina State Crime Laboratory ranks among the top in the nation at using technology to help solve gun crimes, according to federal officials.
Forensic scientists at the State Crime Lab and other agencies nationwide use the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS) to store and compare characteristics of pieces of evidence that are left behind by gun crimes. North Carolina’s Lab ranked in the top five nationally for use of IBIS this spring, according to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), by contributing 444 IBIS entries during April of 2015.
“Thanks to scientists at the State Crime Lab, law enforcement across North Carolina are using this technology to link crimes, solve cases, and make our communities safer,” Attorney General Roy Cooper said.
When a firearm recovered from a crime scene is submitted to the Crime Lab, forensic scientists test fire it and then enter images of the unique patterns on its shell casings into the nationwide IBIS database. The images are compared with thousands of entries to indicate whether or not the firearm has been used in other crimes. These matches help investigators make connections between crimes and pinpoint suspects.
State Crime Lab staff members have entered thousands of pieces of evidence into IBIS. Since the fall of 2014, the entries have uncovered more than 135 possible associations to help solve cases in North Carolina and around the country.
For example, in June of this year, a possible association between evidence samples led law enforcement officials to make arrests on multiple crimes. After suspects were arrested in connection with a Raleigh shooting, officials from the Raleigh Police Department obtained confessions for a separate robbery based on ballistic evidence from IBIS. The Wake County Sheriff’s Department also secured confessions to a third crime from the same suspects.
“State Crime Lab scientists are committed to using the best technology available to them to serve the justice system and protect the public,” said John Byrd, North Carolina State Crime Lab Director. “Their impressive use of IBIS technology is helping North Carolinians stay safe one case at a time.”
In addition to ballistic evidence, the State Crime Lab analyzes digital evidence, drugs, toxicology, DNA, fingerprints, paint, arson, hair and fibers. The main State Crime Lab facility is located in Raleigh and satellite labs in Asheville and Greensboro provide forensic analysis to the criminal justice system free of charge.