City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: JANUARY 6, 2026 FROM: POLICE DEPARTMENT WARDS: ALL
SUBJECT: MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS AND EXPLOSIVES REGARDING THE NATIONAL INTEGRATED BALLISTIC INFORMATION NETWORK (NIBIN) AND PERFORMANCE OF CORRELATION REVIEWS OF THE BALLISTIC EVIDENCE ISSUES:
Approve the Memorandum of Understanding with the United States Department of Justice Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives regarding the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) and the Memorandum of Understanding with the United States Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allowing the Bureau to perform correlation reviews for the ballistic evidence which is entered into the NIBIN database.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Approve the Memorandum of Understanding with the United States Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives regarding the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN); Approve the Memorandum of Understanding with the United States Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allowing the Bureau to perform correlation reviews for the ballistic evidence which is entered into the NIBIN database.
Authorize the Chief of Police, or designee, to execute the two (2) Memorandum of Understanding with the United States Department of Justice Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives regarding the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) and the performance of correlation reviews of the ballistic evidence, including the ability to make minor and non-substantive changes.
BACKGROUND:
On August 19, 2025, the City Council approved the purchase of an Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS) from Forensic Technology, funded through the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) FY2023 grant.
The Riverside Police Department (RPD) is in the process of purchasing the Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS) to construct a National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) Acquisition and Correlation Center. The IBIS will provide the region with the ability to analyze ballistic evidence and cross-reference that data with the national database, otherwise known as NIBIN, to provide timely information to local, state, and national agencies to identify firearms and/or perpetrators who are involved in criminal activity and/or domestic terrorism.
DISCUSSION:
The first Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) regarding the NIBIN establishes and defines a partnership with the RPD that will result in a NIBIN system installation, operation, and administration for the collection, timely analysis, and dissemination of crime gun data to enhance the efforts of law enforcement to integrate resources to reduce firearms violence, identify shooters, and refer them for prosecution.
The second MOU with ATF allows ATF to perform correlation reviews for the City of Riverside ballistic evidence which is entered into the NIBIN database. These correlation reviews will be conducted by ATF through the NIBIN National Correlation and Training Center and will be disseminated back to the affected parties as documented in the MOU.
Participation in the program is expressly restricted to the sharing of ballistic imaging of firearms data associated with crimes recovered by any law enforcement agency in the United States and international law enforcement partners who have also entered MOUs with ATF to share ballistic data. NIBIN systems are to be used to image ballistic evidence and test fires of firearms illegally possessed, used in a crime, or suspected by law enforcement officials of having been used in a crime.
Entering these MOUs provides RPD with a valuable resource that will help reduce firearms violence within the City of Riverside and the region.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the actions of this report.
Prepared by: Chad Milby, Police Captain
Approved by: Larry V. Gonzalez, Chief of Police
Certified as to
availability of funds: Kristie Thomas, Chief Financial Officer Approved by: Mike Futrell, City Manager
Approved as to form: Rebecca McKee-Reimbold, Interim City Attorney Attachments:
MOU with the United States Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives regarding the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network MOU with the United States Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allowing the Bureau to perform correlation reviews for the ballistic evidence which is entered into the NIBIN database ATF NIBIN MOU hPage 5