(The Center Square) – Legislation in the Illinois House is calling for $4 million in state taxpayer funds to help analyze cartridge casings recovered at crime scenes and from guns used in crimes.
The National Integrated Ballistics Information Network grant program has provided $10 million in grants to local government public safety agencies in Illinois.
State Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, said the NIBIN system is widely used by local and state police.
“What we need is funding to go directly to those departments so that they can maintain their machines or expand, get more machines or to have some departments that are kind of in NIBIN deserts get their own machines so that we can have better interconnectivity in the state for solving crimes,” Hirschauer told The Center Square.
Along with state Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, Hirschauer cosponsored House Bills 5750 and 5751, filed by state Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Waukegan.
The legislation appropriates $4 million from the state’s general revenue fund for Illinois State Police to partner with the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and provide grants for NIBIN-supporting equipment.
Mayfield cited recent mass shootings, including two reported in Chicago and one in East St. Louis over the last two months.
“NIBIN is critical to these investigations,” Mayfield said.
Hirschauer said the program is a valuable tool to connect the dots between crime scenes.
“To me, enabling law enforcement to have the tools and technology they need to solve crimes is a money saver, right? If we are stopping the cycle of violence, we can put some of those resources back into those underserved communities,” Hirschauer said.
The Batavia Democrat said the program is important to people across Illinois.
“Not just the city of Chicago, but our downstate police departments really need resources and funding to serve their communities as well,” Hirschauer said.
Hirschauer said she was not aware of any opposition.
“In the cash-strapped south suburbs, lives depend on your legislation, and we hope it passes immediately,” Harvey Police Chief Dale Mitchell said.
The Illinois state budget for fiscal year 2027 is $55.9 billion.
