GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — The Pitt County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded a grant to help them develop a Crime Gun Intelligence Center.

The grant comes from the United States Department of Justice and their federal grant funds. The award totals $700,000. The intelligence center will be established over the next three years, and will be in collaboration with the US Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives.

The Sheriff’s office will be able to purchase NIBIN equipment and software, training for NIBIN certifications, two more crime scene technicians, and on-site physical and scientific ballistic processing with the grant money.

The new intelligence center will be connected to the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). The NIBIN is the only national network that can capture and compare ballistic evidence that helps solve and prevent violent gun crimes.