SEDGWICK COUNTY — In 2017 over one thousand firearms were stolen in Wichita. Through November 4, 768 have been stolen in 2018. Of those firearm stolen, 358 have been linked to violent crime, according to police.  In an effort to change this trend, law enforcement authorities in Wichita announced Project Save-A-Casing Tuesday.

The program is a partnership with law enforcement agencies across the local, state and federal levels and communities to proactively address firearm-related crimes.

The WPD invited citizens to be part of this program and help address firearm related crimes.  To help, citizens will store two bullet casings and registration information from each of their guns.  The casing and information should be stored in a safe place separate from the guns.

If a gun theft occurs, the owner would then give the two firearm casings and registration information to a police officer. These casings and information would then be submitted into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).

NIBIN is a national database containing digital images of spent bullets and cartridge casings found at crime scenes or test-fired from confiscated firearms.  It was established in 1999 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This is a searchable database for possible shell casings matches. If a match occurs, the NIBIN lab then sends the findings to WPD investigators.

This program has been made possible through a grant titled, “Supporting Innovation: Field-Initiated Programs to Improve Officer and Public Safety.”  The grant total is $493,594 and was awarded to the WPD by the United States Department of Justice.