Underpinning the National Ballistics Intelligence Service there are several new ballistics laboratories, the NABIS Hubs. These are located in Birmingham, London and Manchester (staffed by forensic scientists employed by the Metropolitan, West-Midlands and Greater Manchester Police Forces). A fourth NABIS hub, located in Strathclyde, covers Scotland. This is operated by ACPOS and provides an essential link in ensuring that the whole of the UK is able to capture, share and evaluate ballistics information and associated intelligence.

The forensic scientists work in state-of-the-art laboratories. As well as traditional optical microscopes, workshops and range facilities, the four labs have access to comprehensive firearms reference collections and library facilities. In addition, there is the ability to make use of other co-located forensic capabilities such as fingerprint enhancement and the most sensitive DNA profiling techniques.

Critical to the service are the latest generation IBIS comparators, capable of carrying out the automated linking of bullets and cartridge cases to both crime scenes and recovered weapons. IBIS technology is located at each Hub and links in with the new NABIS Database, thereby providing police forces with the world’s first integrated firearms intelligence capability.

Overseeing the Hubs is the Service’s Lead Forensic Scientist, Martin Parker. Martin has been involved in Forensic Science for the past twenty years, initially as a firearms expert, then a forensic science instructor and latterly as the Scientific Support Manager for Cumbria Constabulary.

"I see the work of the National Ballistics Intelligence Service as being vital to enabling police forces and other agencies to tackle firearms crime. We have always benefited from having world class forensic scientists in the UK. However, there have never been sufficient firearms experts, facilities or integrated systems to satisfy the law enforcement community’s need for fast-track firearms intelligence. The Service aims to address this need. As the lead scientist, I see my role as ensuring that the Hubs employ the best scientists, working to internationally recognised standards and in the highest quality facilities available."

For specific information about each Hub, please click the relevant link below:

Central & South East Hub, please click here,
Northern Hub, please click here
London Hub, please click here
Scottish Hub, please click here