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December 2004. In August, police responded created by such a database, the logistics of
to two double homicides; one near a shopping compiling a database is complicated by the
mall and another on a public street. In October, fact that, in the United States, there are already
a meat distributor’s truck and another car were over 200 million firearms, and implementing
both carjacked by armed criminals, and, in such a database questions a variety of legal and
December, a shooting occurred outside of an area constitutional issues. The Bureau of Alcohol,
restaurant. In November 2004, the Riviera Beach Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE),
Police found an abandoned .380 caliber (9mm) however, has amassed a national database (the
pistol and were able to arrest a suspect. Then, in National Integrated Ballistic Information Network,
December 2004, the Palm Beach Gardens Police NIBIN), that compiles ballistic images from
found a discarded .40 caliber pistol at the scene bullets and cartridge cases, and this database is
of the armed carjacking. Two suspects, including utilized to compare images in the database with
a felon, were then arrested, and, using NIBIN, the guns that have been collected from crime scenes
.40 caliber pistol was linked to both of the double or confiscated from criminals. Over 1.6 millions
homicides and the shooting at the restaurant. images with over 34,000 hits, or connections, of
The .380 caliber pistol was linked to one of the multiple crimes have been accumulated by using
double homicides, and all three suspects were this database.
charged, convicted, and sentenced to 20-40 years
imprisonment. Persons interested in a forensic career with
an emphasis on ballistic imaging should seek
In an effort to maximize the results of forensic a bachelor’s degree in either forensic science
bullet analysis, databases of bullet standards or criminology, and some specialists also have
have begun to be utilized in several states, such training in mechanical engineering and metallurgy.
as California, Massachusetts, and New York, and, While earning a degree, it would be beneficial to
recently, there has been a push by legislatures pursue an internship in ballistic imaging in order
to create a comprehensive national database to obtain necessary experience. Sometimes a
that would require all current gun holders, gun law enforcement officer or others experienced
manufacturers, and purchasers to register their in firearms may transition into these types of
bullet standards. These databases would be used positions with additional training. Training courses
to match the pattern of a bullet in question to a gun would include math, chemistry, and physics. This
that was preregistered in the database. In theory, is not a recommended course, however, as those
this would give law enforcement the ability to track individuals with bachelor’s degree tend to receive
the gun back to the original purchaser. preference over those without.
The proposed database would produce a list of The American Academy of Forensic Sciences
possible gun matches and give law enforcement provides a website with a list of colleges and
a “match score” according to the similarity to the universities providing forensic degree programs.
bullet or cartridge case. Despite the improvements For more information, visit www.aafs.org.
16 THE MYSTERY OF LYLE AND LOUISE
