Attorney General Miyares Provides New Ballistics Technology for 10 Ceasefire and Nearby Cities 

RICHMOND, VA – Attorney General Jason Miyares announced today 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. Immediately following an incident, law enforcement can scan cartridge cases with the portable BIQ scanning device and upload to the BIQ software, which will determine the casing type and minimum number of shells within minutes. 

The software produces a report that groups the casings by number of unique firearms involved and identifies the best cartridge case(s) for entry into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), which is the only interstate automated ballistic imaging network in operation in the United States. 

Project Ceasefire is an initiative, launched by Attorney General Miyares in October 2022, that works to improve public safety by prosecuting violent crime, investing in gang prevention, and supporting community policing in high-crime neighborhoods.

“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,” said Attorney General Miyares.  

On August 4, 2022, the Office of the Attorney General secured the funding for this program, and agreements have officially been finalized with the following cities:

1. Newport News
2. Henrico
3. Chesapeake
4. Virginia Commonwealth University Police Department 
5. Petersburg
6. Hanover
7. Norfolk
8. Richmond
9. Virginia Beach
10. Hopewell

Advantages of Ballistics IQ include: 

• The probable cause standard is 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

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