Aurora's Ballistic Imaging Tool To Help Shooting Investigations

AURORA, IL --- The Aurora Police Department recently showed off a new piece of technology that will help its officers ---and those in surrounding counties--- better investigate shootings. The ballistic imaging tool is one of just 22 of its kind made available throughout the nation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Department of Justice.

The ballistic imaging tool works as a database to help police link shell casings from crime scenes to guns that are recovered from other crime scenes. When a shell casing is recovered, police can use the technology to enter it into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) database. They can also use the equipment to image spent shell casings from recovered guns in the hopes of finding a match.

Officials stressed that the tool can help solve crimes that "would otherwise have gone unsolved," but noted that timeliness is key for the system to work properly, since shooting cases often go cold quickly.

Aurora Police Chief Kristin Ziman said in a news release that the city was chosen to house the machine due to its central location and proximity to Illinois collar counties. Law enforcement in Kane, DuPage, Kendall, Will, Grundy, LaSalle, and Lake Counties will all have access to the tool and its database.

The hope is that by sharing such information throughout other jurisdictions, police will be able to efficiently fight cases of gun violence.

Images via Aurora Police Department