Gun Crime Mobile Unit
May 31—United States Attorney Will Thompson joined officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) to provide high-tech assistance targeting gun violence to law enforcement agencies throughout the Southern District of West Virginia.
An ATF National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) mobile unit, operated in partnership with Appalachia HIDTA, deployed on Tuesday, to the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office in Beckley and the West Virginia State Police Academy in Dunbar, to conduct training for local law enforcement and provide investigative support by analyzing ballistic evidence from gun crimes.
The training will aid the ongoing support that NIBIN will provide law enforcement throughout the district. NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. ATF maintains and operates NIBIN's infrastructure at no charge to law enforcement partners.
Thompson, ATF Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Division, which includes West Virginia, and Appalachia HIDTA Executive Director Vic Brown held a press conference with law enforcement officials at each location. A tour and demonstration of the NIBIN mobile unit followed each press conference.
