Attorney General Jason Miyares announced this week that his office has secured new, state-of-the-art Ballistics technology for ten Project Ceasefire and nearby cities. Ballistics IQ is a ballistics triage tool that gives law enforcement the ability to quickly establish leads based on cartridge casing identifiers.
Agreements have been finalized with the following cities:
- Newport News
- Henrico
- Chesapeake
- Virginia Commonwealth University Police Department
- Petersburg
- Hanover
- Norfolk
- Richmond
- Virginia Beach
- Hopewell
"I'm thrilled that we were able to secure funding, reach agreements, purchase, and deliver this game changing technology to ten Virginia cities. Ballistics IQ is a proven tool that helps law enforcement get critical information faster, making their jobs easier. We're hopeful that tools like this will help reduce crime in our communities."
– Attorney General Miyares
Advantages of Ballistics IQ include:
- The probable cause standard if met in minutes instead of waiting for hours or days
- The BIQ machine has a 2-4 minute identification process
- It can identify thousands of casings created by 3D printer switches
- Training is uncomplicated, and multiple people can be trained at the same agency
- The unit is mobile
- It can compare known samples among seven city departments
