cover
TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Commander Jack Fichtel
DATE: September 5, 2019
SUBJECT:
Resolution authorizing the City of Aurora to enter into an updated Memorandum of Understanding between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Aurora Police Department (APD).
PURPOSE:
An updated Memorandum of Understanding between the ATF and APD will allow for a continued Regional NIBIN Initiative.
BACKGROUND:
The Aurora Police Department since 2006 has housed and ATF-APD Fox Valley Gang Crimes Task Force, which has been a highly successful partnership combatting violent, gang and gun crimes. Through this partnership, the ATF has identified the Aurora Police Department, and surrounding jurisdictions, as a location that would benefit from NIBIN technology. NIBIN, which stands for the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, is a tool to help law enforcement to establish investigative leads from ballistic evidence.
To understand NIBIN it is important to understand how it works. When a gun is made, the manufacturing equipment etches microscopic markings - somewhat like fingerprints - onto the gun’s metal parts. These markings, called tool marks, are transferred to a bullet or cartridge case when the gun is fired.
When law enforcement investigates crimes in which firearms are used, ballistic imaging of such bullets and cartridge cases can be important in solving crime.
NIBIN is a national database of digital images of spent bullets and cartridge cases that were found at crime scenes or test-fired from confiscated weapons. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) manages the system and provides the equipment to crime labs around the country.
A firearms examiner uses ballistic imaging to convert the spent rounds into two- or three-dimensional digital images that are uploaded into NIBIN. NIBIN can be searched for possible matches - that is, other rounds that have similar tool marks and thus may have been fired from the same gun. After a possible match, or "hit" is identified, the crime lab secures the actual spent round(s) and compares them under a microscope to confirm the hit. Then, the lab sends information on the hit (a hit report) to investigators.
A NIBIN hit report has many potential tactical and strategic uses for law enforcement. Law enforcement investigators can use it to link crimes, which can help to identify suspects. They can also use it to understand patterns of gun crime, such as gun sharing and trafficking.
The Aurora Police Department has housed the NIBIN equipment and had previously entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the ATF. The ATF has presented the Aurora Police Department an updated MOU, which outlines new ATF standards for entry of information and also updates the ATF maintenance of the equipment.
DISCUSSION:
A new Memorandum of Understanding will outline the new operating standards that the ATF wants local jurisdictions to follow and updates the ATF maintenance of the equipment.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
If this project is approved it can have a continued impact on the quickly identifying patterns of specific firearms being used in violent crimes and to link crimes, which can help identify suspects.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Adopt the updated Memorandum of Understanding between the ATF and the APD to continue the Regional NIBIN Initiative.
cc: Alderman Hart-Burns
Alderman Smith
Alderman Lofchie
Alderman Mesiacos
Alderman Saville
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
A Resolution authorizing the City of Aurora to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Aurora Police Department (APD).
body
WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, The Aurora Police Department since 2006 has housed and ATF-APD Fox Valley Gang Crimes Task Force, which has been a highly successful partnership combatting violent, gang and gun crimes. Through this partnership, the ATF has identified the Aurora Police Department, and surrounding jurisdictions, as a location that would benefit from NIBIN technology. NIBIN, which stands for the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, is a tool to help law enforcement to establish investigative leads from ballistic evidence; and
WHEREAS, The Aurora Police Department has housed the NIBIN equipment since 2018 and had previously entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the ATF.
WHEREAS, The ATF has presented the Aurora Police Department an updated MOU, which outlines new ATF standards for entry of information and also updates the ATF maintenance of the equipment.
WHEREAS, this project has had an impact on quickly identifying patterns of specific firearms being used in violent crimes and to link crimes, which can help identify suspects.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: It is the desire of the Department to adopt the updated Memorandum of Understanding between the ATF and the APD to continue the Regional NIBIN Initiative.