U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced funding in the FY24 appropriations bill to purchase new ballistics testing machines for more law enforcement agencies in New Mexico.
The lack of these machines that are connected to the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, also known as NIBIN, exhaust many law enforcement hours transporting evidence.
Senator Heinrich says New Mexico will be able to secure four of these machines.
“I was able to work through the appropriations process to get funding this year for over $1 million to put NIBIN machines in Farmington, Gallop, Las Cruces and Roswell. Rather than having law enforcement officers driving from the ends of the state to Santa Fe or Albuquerque, where the only machines exist right now. “
Doña Ana County Sheriff Kim Stewart, who was instrumental as Heinrich identified the need for these machines, describes their impact.
“I want to tell you how important NIBIN’s is; I know the Senator spoke a little bit about this round, here’s how important NIBIN’s is. It connects this round to a specific weapon, a specific weapon, how invaluable is that? It's an incredible tool in our arsenal. One of the things the senator and I agree on for several years now is how we need to start stepping up to technology, we need to embrace that which can make policing more efficient, more scientific, more unarguable for the prosecution. On the other hand it does leave us time for the art of policing.”
