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Allen council authorizes application for ~ $170,000 ballistic‑imaging grant
Summary
Council authorized the city manager to apply for a violent gang gun reduction grant (Resolution 4204-1-26R) to buy IBIS/ballistics imaging equipment and an in-house recovery tank to speed entry of firearm casings into NIBIN; the resolution passed unanimously.
The Allen City Council unanimously adopted Resolution 4204-1-26R authorizing the city manager to apply for a grant from the Office of the Governor that would fund equipment to support ballistic analysis and entry into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).
Assistant Chief Tolliver explained the department’s current workflow: confiscated weapons are transported to a gun range, fired for casings, and those casings are sent to Garland for IBIS imaging and entry into NIBIN (managed by the ATF). "This NIBIN system uses advanced algorithms and technology to link casings," Tolliver said, and the city’s prior submissions generated leads for other agencies.
Tolliver said the grant — worth approximately $170,000 — would pay for in-house IBIS-capable imaging and a ballistic-recovery tank so staff would not need to transport casings to other cities, increasing efficiency and speeding entry of evidence into the national system. He said archived casings entered last year produced about 47 investigative leads.
Councilors asked for clarification on the number of casings tested versus entered; Tolliver said casings must be triaged and only items meeting quality standards are submitted to NIBIN. He also said the department would be open to assisting other agencies with the equipment but that the ATF-managed NIBIN system governs data submission and use. The council passed the resolution authorizing application, acceptance and acceptance-related actions unanimously.
