Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer M. Schorn recently announced the opening of a new, state-of-the-art ballistics laboratory, which will significantly enhance the county’s ability to analyze firearm-related evidence.
The new ballistics laboratory features a reinforced shooting room, which includes a water tank designed to safely decelerate test-fired bullets and keep them intact for comparison. This technology enables experts to quickly process and compare ballistic samples, and enter data into a national database, expediting criminal investigations.
The lab will work in conjunction with the county’s participation in the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), a tool used by law enforcement to help connect firearms to crime scenes throughout the country by comparing images of fired bullet casings from crime scenes with those from recovered firearms.
“It’s not only solving cases here in Bucks County and surrounding counties, but it is solving cases in surrounding states, so this is a game changer as it relates to combatting gun violence in our community and our surrounding communities,” Schorn said.
Schorn thanked the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which awarded the District Attorney’s Office a $3 million grant two years ago to primarily support the development of a county-wide Gun Violence Task Force, the hiring of Firearms Examiner Greg Welsh and all his equipment, as well as advanced investigative equipment used during gun violence investigations.
The lab’s creation totaled $167,850, funded through the grant.
“This means that Detective Welsh, our expert, now has the tools at his disposal to immediately examine evidence, either recovered from a shooting scene or evidence from a firearm, turn that investigative material around within hours, if the need arises,” Schorn said. “Typically, this type of analysis would take months, so as you can imagine having these resources and our expert available to do that means that actionable leads will be developed in these cases that will serve all of Bucks County, all of our law enforcement community here in Bucks County.”
Previously, the Bucks County DA’s office relied on the state police or ballistics labs in Philadelphia and neighboring counties. The new lab will provide Bucks County with advanced tools to enable faster results, contributing to more effective crime-solving and increased public safety.
District Attorney Schorn also thanked the Bucks County Commissioners for pledging to continue funding the lab after the grant expires.
Commissioner Robert J. Harvie emphasized the importance of the lab, stating, “We cannot go a day in this country without hearing news of a gun crime committed somewhere. Thankfully here in Bucks County, those crimes are rare, but they do occur.”
“It certainly is essential,” he added. “We are really pleased that we have this level of equipment. We think that Bucks County is the envy of most of the counties of the Commonwealth for a lot of reasons and having this equipment is another reason.”
At the Thursday news conference, Firearms Examiner Greg Welsh demonstrated the lab’s capabilities for the media, firing a test shot into the water tank and retrieving the bullet and casing. He then showed members of the media how fired casings are compared using a forensic microscope.
Credit: YouTube
Welsh explained that each firearm leaves a unique signature, such as scratches, grooves, or dents, on bullet casings when a gun is fired.
“If you needed answers immediately, I can go and start working on it as soon as the evidence is submitted and give the primary detective the answers he was inquiring about,” Welsh said. “At the end of the day, we want to get the answers, and we want to get the correct answers for these investigations.”
Present at the unveiling were Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn, First Assistant District Attorney Edward Louka, Bucks County Commissioners Robert J. Harvie and Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, Bucks County Solicitor Amy Fitzpatrick, Bucks County Chief Detective Greg Beidler, Bucks County Deputy Chief Detective Jack Slattery, Firearms Examiner Greg Welsh and other members of the Bucks County Detectives and District Attorney’s Office.
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