Wilmington Police Department introduces ballistics technology to catch more criminals

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Officers at the Wilmington Police Department say they’re excited about new ballistics technology they’re hopeful will help solve more gun crimes.

The ‘National Integrated Ballistic Information Network’ (NIBIN) lets police compare shell casings to others from around the country.

WPD is the 240th department to get the technology, with over 400,000 leads coming from the program nationwide.

“Only about 5 percent of criminals are committing about 80 percent of violent crime,” assistant special agent in charge Brian Mein said. “This helps us focus on the right people. It helps us focus on who exactly the trigger-pullers are.”

Mein says every shell casing is unique like a fingerprint, which helps officers determine who was involved in a gun-relate incident.