JSO doubles gun evidence processing equipment

Jacksonville, FL — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has doubled its capability to process ballistic evidence through a network of data.

WOKV has previously reported that JSO has been using National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) equipment, which allows them to compare ballistic evidence from gun crimes and recovered firearms to other records across the country. Now, the Department of Justice and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives say they've awarded more equipment to JSO. A JSO Spokesperson confirms to WOKV that they have received an entire new NIBIN system, meaning they now have two in place.

JSO says they got the equipment in the last few months, and it has allowed them to increase their capabilities and get faster results. Sharing the ballistic information and imaging across the network can allow law enforcement to potentially link crimes or get leads.

Before getting this technology, JSO says they had to rely on the state or federal investigators to process ballistic evidence, which could take months. Having dedicated equipment allows them to gather actionable information within days, to use as part of the investigation. Using a digital imaging platform also allows comparisons to be made more quickly.

This is just one leg of many intelligence-driven initiatives that JSO and the City have been rolling out. JSO also uses ShotSpotter, and recently gained approval from the City Council to establish a "Real Time Crime Center". That will filter multiple data sources through one system in order to more effectively convey conditions on scene to first responders, provide investigators actionable intelligence more quickly, and detect crime trends and patterns. This all comes as the City has budgeted over the last few years to also rebuild the number of officers employed by JSO.

JSO is among six agencies that were selected to receive additional equipment from the federal government. Another 16 agencies were awarded the equipment for the first time.