How suburban cops and the ATF are teaming up to track guns used in crimes

Every time someone shoots a semi-automatic gun, the weapon's firing pin, breech face and ejector leave unique marks on the casing of the bullet's cartridge.

Like a fingerprint, those markings can tie the firearm to any crime committed anywhere.

That is, if someone makes the comparison. But every day, week and month that goes by, cases get colder. Witnesses forget things or clam up because they think police aren't doing anything. Detectives get new cases, and old ones go on the back burner.

Now the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Aurora police are teaming up to make sure that doesn't happen, and the benefits of their efforts should be felt across the region.

The ATF has set up the Suburban Regional NIBIN, or National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, Initiative at the Aurora Police Department. It allows police departments across the area to bypass backlogged crime labs - where ballistic tests can take months - and quickly determine whether a bullet taken from a crime scene is linked to other offenses, a particular weapon or even a suspect.

Police in Lake, DuPage, Kane, Will and Kendall counties are among those with access to the program.

"Criminals don't adhere to boundaries," Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman said.

<h3 class="leadin">How it works

The ATF is training suburban police officers on how to collect ballistic evidence. Those officers will bring evidence from cases involving gunfire to the Aurora Police Department and take various images of it, including three-dimensional pictures, through what's called an IBIS BrassTrax acquisition station.

An ATF investigator then runs the images through the NIBIN database, searching for possible matches. High-probability matches can help investigators narrow their focus to a shorter list of suspects.

While the previous process to find matches took months, federal officials say they can run a search in as little as 48 hours.

"The sole mission for NIBIN is to get these shooters off the street," said Brendan Iber, ATF special agent in charge.

Besides helping to solve a crime, the information may show patterns of gun-trafficking or gang activity.

"Information sharing is huge," Iber said.

<h3 class="leadin">Buckle up for a change

In a measure Illinois State Police say could save the lives of the youngest people on the roads, a new state law goes into effect Jan. 1 requiring all children under 2 years old be in rear-facing child car seats when traveling in a vehicle.

Passed by the state legislature in May and signed into law by Gov. Bruce Rauner in August, the new rules replace a law that only required an "approved" safety seat for children under 8.

"This legislation will assist in saving the lives of young children who depend on parents and guardians every day to protect them during travel," Illinois State Police Director Leo P. Schmitz said.

The measure allows exceptions for children who weigh more than 40 pounds, are taller than 40 inches or riding in vehicles weighing more than 9,000 pounds.

<h3 class="leadin">Cutting costs

Truancy officer may have joined buggy driver, lamplighter and bowling pinsetter as largely vanished career fields, but truancy is still a problem catching law enforcement's attention.

North Aurora last week became the latest suburb to approve an ordinance imposing potentially heavy fines for students who repeatedly cut classes or parents who allow it.

Police and West Aurora School District 129 officials say it will help them in cases where everything else the district tries fails.

Under the measure, kids caught playing hooky could receive citations of $25 to $50 for first offenses and ranging all the way up to $750 for chronic offenders.

If the child is under 13, the parents or legal guardians would be on the hook for those fines.

Along with the fine, the village can order truants and their families to undergo counseling and may also be able to point the families to services that can help them and the kids get back on track.

"It is not intended as a means of punishment," Police Chief David Fisher said. "I certainly do not want people to think we are out to fine truant kids."

Arlington Heights in September approved a measure allowing parents of chronic truants to face fines up to $750.

<h3 class="leadin">Scam alert

The Kane County sheriff's office is warning of a scheme in which a caller able to mimic - or "spoof" - the office's number on caller IDs is telling residents that their loved one is in jail and needs money.

"THIS IS A SCAM," the sheriff's office reported. "You can always check for an inmate by name on our website: kanesheriff.com, if you're ever questioning."

<h3 class="leadin">New law, fewer mug shots

You may be seeing fewer mug shots on police departments' Facebook pages come Jan. 1.

That's when a change in state law goes into effect prohibiting law enforcement from publishing booking photos in connection with civil offenses, petty offenses, business offenses, and Class B and C misdemeanors.

An exception will be made when police are looking for a missing person, fugitive or suspect in more serious crimes.

• Got a tip or thoughts on a cops and crime-related issue to share? Send an email to copsandcrime@dailyherald.com.