NABIS
Definition
National Ballistics Intelligence Service; the UK police intelligence service that maintains a national headstamp and firearm reference collection and coordinates ballistic intelligence across UK police forces and with INTERPOL.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Covers
- England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
- Primary function
- National ballistic database management and cross-case evidence linking
Common questions
What is NABIS and what does it do?+
NABIS is the National Ballistics Intelligence Service, the UK Home Office agency responsible for managing ballistic evidence nationwide. It operates the national ballistic evidence database, maintains reference collections of headstamps and firearms, and coordinates ballistic intelligence across all UK police forces and with INTERPOL.
How does NABIS help link crime scenes to firearms?+
NABIS runs a centralized database that stores ballistic evidence like firing pin marks and cartridge case characteristics. When a weapon or ammunition is recovered, ballistic specialists can cross-reference it against this national database to link cases across different police forces and jurisdictions, revealing patterns investigators might otherwise miss.
Does NABIS work with police forces outside the UK?+
Yes. NABIS coordinates ballistic intelligence not only across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, but also with INTERPOL, enabling international case linking and information sharing on firearms evidence.
Related terms
- NIBIN
- National Integrated Ballistic Information Network. ATF-operated distributed network of IBIS acquisition sites and correlation servers across the United States, active since 1999...
- AFTE Theory of Identification
- The Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners' standard (1992, revised 2011) for reporting tool-mark comparison conclusions as Identification, Inconclusive, or Elimination...
- BKA
- Bundeskriminalamt, the German Federal Criminal Police Office, which operates the German GRC and ballistic identification database feeding the European EBIS network.
- BrassTRAX-3D HD
- The cartridge-case acquisition and database search module of the IBIS system. Captures firing-pin impression, breech-face, and ejector mark topography for correlation against...
- Breech Face
- The forward surface of the bolt, slide, or breech block that seals the chamber and contacts the cartridge case head during firing....
- BulletTRAX-3D HD
- The bullet-surface acquisition and database search module of the IBIS system. Captures land impression topography from fired bullets for correlation against database...
- CFSL
- Central Forensic Science Laboratory: a central government lab operating under DFSS. India has CFSLs at New Delhi, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Pune, Guwahati,...
- CIP
- Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes a Feu Portatives; the European proof body that standardises chamber and cartridge specifications for European...
- Correlation Report
- The output of an automated NIBIN or IBIS database search above the review threshold. An investigative lead document, not a court exhibit....
- EBIS
- European Ballistic Information Service. Distributed ENFSI network of national IBIS nodes allowing cross-border cartridge case and bullet correlation searches between European forensic...
- Ejector Mark
- A striated or impressed feature left on the cartridge case rim or base by the ejector pin at the moment of case...
- Evofinder
- A competing ballistic identification system by Evofinder Ltd. (UK) using a different optical acquisition method and algorithm to IBIS. Deployed in jurisdictions...
Explained in these topics
- Automated Ballistic Databases: IBIS, NIBIN, EBIS and INTERPOL IBINNational Ballistics Intelligence Service. The UK Home Office agency that operates the national ballistic evidence database and manages cross-force ballistic in...
- Calibre Systems and Headstamp IdentificationNational Ballistics Intelligence Service; the UK police intelligence service that maintains a national headstamp and firearm reference collection and coordinat...
- Cartridge-Case Markers: Firing Pin, Breech Face, Ejector and ExtractorNational Ballistics Intelligence Service, the UK national authority for ballistic evidence management and database cross-case linking under the Home Office.
- Rifling Characteristics: Lands, Grooves, Twist DirectionNational Ballistics Intelligence Service, the UK agency that manages national-level ballistic evidence collection, database management, and cross-force linking...