NSW:"CSI-style" upgrade for firearms database

AAP General News (Australia)
02-17-2011
NSW:"CSI-style" upgrade for firearms database

SYDNEY, Feb 17 AAP - An upgrade of the NSW police force's "CSI-style" forensic technology
will help fight a recent surge in shooting incidents, Police Assistant Commissioner Jeff
Loy says.

Premier Kristina Keneally and Police Minister Michael Daley on Thursday unveiled the
3D integrated ballistics identification system (IBIS).

The system captures a 3D image of bullets and casings, and compares that with a database
to draw links between crimes.

Ms Keneally says NSW is the only Australian state to get the $1.2 million "CSI-style
technology", which is used by agencies such as Interpol and the FBI.

"This state of art technology is able to do in an hour what would have taken our police
manually, years to do," she told reporters.

NSW police have had the technology - an upgrade from 2D IBIS - for two weeks, but it
went live this week.

Mr Loy, the commander of NSW Police's forensic services group, said they had already
made a cold-case connection with a recent drive-by shooting in Sydney's western suburbs,
during training for the technology.

"We don't want to disclose which scenes have been linked, but what is significant is,
we have had a link back in 2005 but also a more contemporary link as well," he told reporters.

"There's been a number of shooting incidents and we feel that... this 3D (system) will
actually be a great tool in the fight against those particular shooting incidents in NSW."

The system is being funded from the 2010/11 budget.

Mr Daley said this was a "scary day for crooks".

"Understand that if you commit an illegal shooting you are leaving behind a mountain
of evidence," he said.

"The police will use it and they will catch you."

AAP ceb/wjf/it

KEYWORD: POLLNSW BALLISTICS

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