New tech equipment helping investigators solve gun crimes in Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Shot spotter technology has been helping Fresno Police solve crimes since 2015. Now comes along yet another tool to aid investigators in cases involving guns.

It's called NIBIN, which stands for National Integrated Ballistic Information Network.

The machine has the ability to link crimes that might have otherwise gone unconnected.

"What this does is allow us to take cartridge casings from one crime scene and it comes back with matches of cartridge casings from a different crime scene and we might not have none the same gun was used at both locations," said Scott West.

Fresno PD has only been using the new piece of equipment since last month and already NIBIN has been used in linking multiple shootings.

"We've entered 30 different casings from 30 different shootings that we have been able to tie to seven guns. We know there has been seven guns used in 30 shootings here as of late," said Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer.

Crime lab technicians take the bullet casings that were recovered from the crime scene and insert them into the machine.

From there the technician can match up the markings on each shell from other shells and bullets in a national database -- doing this all in real-time.

"We've had a couple of cases where the technician has gone out in the field collected the casings brought them back and in less than 20 or 30 minutes we've had that link and found out about the multiple crime scenes being related all in less than an hour," said West.