New technology purchase could help Columbia police speed up gun-identification process

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department is hopeful the purchase of gun identification technology will help police be more effective in solving violent crimes in the city.

CPD is requesting $208,934 in seized money to buy gun identification technology. The request was presented during Monday night's City Council meeting.

According to Assistant Chief Lance Bolinger, CPD is asking the city to use forfeiture funds to partake in the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network and to have a direct connection to the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The technology is something the department currently uses, but is now looking to have a machine in-house.

Bolinger said every gun is unique in that it leaves behind a fingerprint on the shell casing when a round is fired. The technology would allow for police to put the shell casing into the system, and link the casing to the gun it was fired from.

Having the system in-house will help police speed up this process by months, Bolinger says.

"Currently, we have about a two-to-three month window on any shell casing that we require that we collect to get a NIBN alert back on it," Bolinger said. "If we're able to purchase this equipment in-house, we have about a 24-to-48 hour turnaround."

Bolinger said one of the biggest issues police have recently been running into when trying to solve a shooting is the lack of witnesses who come forward with information.

Due to the lack of witness information, he said police are now turning toward relying on surveillance equipment and software, such as this technology, to be able to track leads for homicide investigations. The City Council in October approved the use of Flock cameras, which are used to read license plates.

According to Bolinger, the partnership with ATF will also allow for police to link specific crimes and guns used by specific people. This allows them to focus on people in the community who are allegedly committing the violent acts which, in turn, allows police to further develop leads and intelligence moving forward, he said.

Bolinger said he's proud of the department's homicide clearance rates, but said he would like police to be able to address issues in the community prior to a homicide occurring.

"When we have a shots fired where even no one is hit, a lot of time someone is trying to commit a homicide. They're just unsuccessful in that endeavor," Bolinger said. "So, we really want to make sure that our clearance rate on all of our violent assault, especially gun crimes are at that same level."

Bolinger said the technology could help police solve those cases at a higher rate.

"But at the end of the day, we can't control what people's actions are pre-event right? Before the crime is committed. Our goal is, is when we talk about these crimes that before the serious crime occurs...like before the homicide occurs and it's still just a shots-fired in the street, I think they will help us solve those cases at a higher rate and hopefully that drives down the other stats as well," Bolinger said.

Ward 5 councilman Donald Waterman said he plans to support the purchase of the technology, noting the two shootings that occurred within the city last week at Douglass Park and downtown.

"It's unfortunate that that happened," Waterman said. "If it can help tie a firearm to crimes if it's recovered later then yeah I think again, I think it's a good thing. I think it's just, it's another tool that we can give the police to do what they can to help make Columbia safer community."

The City Council will vote on the measure in December.

If approved, Bolinger said it will take roughly six months before the machine is fully functional.