The National Ballistics Imaging Comparison (NBIC) project.

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Metrology
• Quality Assurance

Background:

• The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB-International) issued guidelines for traceability and quality assurance in U.S. crime laboratories.
• The National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) is a U.S. network for ballistics information.
• Accreditation to ISO 17025 is a key goal for forensic laboratories.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a National Traceability and Quality System for ballistics identifications.
• To develop control charts and limits for assessing ballistics examiner performance.
• To support future assessments and accreditations for firearm evidence analysis.

Main Methods:

• A joint NIST/ATF project, National Ballistics Imaging Comparison (NBIC), was initiated in 2008.
• NIST Standard Reference Material (SRM) 2460 bullets and 2461 cartridge cases were used as reference standards.
• 19 ballistics examiners from 13 U.S. crime laboratories performed periodic image acquisitions and correlations over one year.

Main Results:

• Correlation scores were collected by NIST for statistical analysis.
• Control charts and control limits were developed based on examiner performance data.
• The study provided data for a proposed Quality System for ballistics identification.

Conclusions:

• The NBIC project successfully developed a framework for a national ballistics quality system.
• The developed system and reference materials support traceability and quality assurance in forensic ballistics.
• This initiative aids U.S. crime laboratories in meeting accreditation standards like ISO 17025.