HOME OFFICE News
Release (034/2009) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 2 March 2009
A new state of the
art £8 million national ballistics service to assist police in
solving gun crimes was officially opened today by Home Secretary
Jacqui Smith.
The National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS) provides a
specialist 'CSI-style' analysis of all ballistics -
effectively giving guns and bullets a 'fingerprint'
which can be tracked. This means that police across the country
will be able to match guns to offenders in double quick time and
trace which gun a bullet has been fired from when criminals are
using it more than once. NABIS will support the police to solve
crimes where firearms have been used quickly, identify the few
individuals who import, store and supply illegal firearms and
track down the people involved in illegally converting or adapting firearms.
Since NABIS began work three months ago it has already linked
over 100 incidents in which firearms have been discharged and have
received over 700 items for analysis. This includes providing
support to the police teams investigating Operation Trident
incidents in London and the Fairfield Post Office shooting.
The national database, available to all 43 forces across England
and Wales includes:
* A complete registry of all recovered guns and ammunition coming
into police possession in England and Wales;
* A ballistics comparison capability to link crimes and incidents
within 24 to 48 hours; and
* Intelligence relating to suspects, weapons, locations and
incidents. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:
"Every gun or bullet tells a story. The National Ballistics
Intelligence Service (NABIS) helps police unravel that story and
track down offenders. NABIS's specialist CSI-style analysis
of ballistics - effectively giving guns and bullets a fingerprint
which can be tracked - will help police to match guns to offenders
in double quick time.
"NABIS's expert advice will help police take more guns
off our streets and better protect our communities from
gun-related crimes".
The Government and police are also concerned about the use of
deactivated firearms in crime. The concerns are on two fronts: the
reactivation of deactivated firearms and the misuse of firearms
while in their deactivated form to threaten and intimidate people.
The new consultation paper seeks views on which of the following
options, or a combination thereof, represents the best way forward:
* Treat deactivated guns as realistic imitation firearms.
*
Make deactivation standards a mandatory requirement.
* Require
pre-1995 deactivations to be modified to the 1995 standard.
*
Sell deactivated guns only through Registered Firearms
Dealers.
* Prohibit certain convicted offenders from buying
deactivated guns.
The Home Secretary added:
"Deactivated firearms that fall into the criminal hands can
have terrifying, violent consequences. We estimate that there are
about 180,000 certificated deactivated guns in circulation and a
further 8,000 or 9,000 guns are deactivated each year.
"I do not wish to interfere with genuine collectors and
others with a legitimate and safe use for these items. That is why
I am asking people from a range agencies and organisations who
have the expert knowledge to tell us the best way to crack down on
this problem"
During her visit, the Home Secretary also opened a conference
room at the centre dedicated to teenagers Letitia Shakespeare and
Charlene Ellis. They were both killed in a drive-by shooting six
years ago in Birmingham.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. NABIS was initially jointly funded by the Home Office and the
Association of Chief Police Officers, with an investment of £5.5
million. The Association of Chief Police Officers will be funding
the service for a further £2.5 million per year.
2. The programme went live on 3 November 2008.
3. More information about the National Ballistics Intelligence
Service can be found at http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/ballistics/index-temp.asp
4. The Tackling Gangs Action Programme was launched by the Home
Secretary in September 2007 as the focus of renewed action to
tackle gun crime and serious violence amongst young people and
delivered a 51% reduction in firearms-related injuries over a
six-month period.
5. The public consultation on regulations to control the use of
deactivated firearms is available online at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk.
020 7035 3535