ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — 8 On Your Side is taking a closer look at the investigative tools the St. Pete Police Department uses to fight crime.We’re talking about a national database through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that helps detectives link crime scenes and identify suspects.
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From drones and a robotic dog to a specialized network of comparing ballistic evidence, the agency is at the forefront of technology.
When gunshots are fired off, police rush to the scene. Investigators will canvass the area, interview witnesses, and often perform life-saving measures, but what happens behind the scenes to catch the shooter?
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“Every firearm has its own fingerprints,” said Morgan James, crime gun operations specialist.Once shell casings are collected, the St. Pete Police department can trace that one firearm that was discharged or link it to a previous crime.“I will triage them essentially trying to figure out how many firearms that were used in that shooting and once I figure that out, I’ll choose one cartridge case from that represented firearm and I’ll put it into the NIBID database.”That’s the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network. The ATF database allows investigators, like Morgan James, to match ballistic evidence from cases locally and across the nation…