Forensic Technology: Police Chiefs Honor IBIS Ballistics System Creator

MONTRÉAL, CANADA--(Marketwired - Oct. 23, 2014) - The founder of Forensic Technology, Robert A. Walsh, has been named winner of the 2014 August Vollmer Excellence in Forensic Science Awards, in the category of Innovation in Forensic Technology.

Mr. Walsh is being honoured on behalf of the law enforcement profession and the communities protected and served, for the outstanding achievement of having developed the world's leading forensic ballistic identification system capable of linking a firearm to multiple crimes. "What began for me over 20 years ago as an engineering challenge turned into a life's pursuit," Walsh says. "IBIS changed the direction of my entire business and it has led me around the world."

To this day, the IBIS technology developed by Walsh has changed the way in which police around the world investigate and solve firearm-related crimes. Independently-conducted studies have proven that IBIS significantly increases the number of investigative leads, helping police solve crimes across jurisdictions which would otherwise remain unsolved. In the United States alone, IBIS has resulted in new investigative leads in over 100,000 shooting cases.

Walsh has taken IBIS from an idea to a mainstream crime-solving solution. Revolutionizing the science of ballistics identification, IBIS could be called the most significant invention in its field since the comparison microscope of the 1920s. Today, IBIS networks are the backbone of firearm violence reduction efforts in nearly seventy countries.

Walsh also generously supports forensic education and has provided law enforcement agencies access to crime-solving tools they could not otherwise afford or obtain.

"I have met some of the very best people in law enforcement and forensic science today," Walsh says. "It is extremely gratifying to know that IBIS is helping them identify and stop the most dangerous of criminals and prevent them from doing more harm."

A financial supporter of many law enforcement organizations such as the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund and the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners, Walsh regularly supplies resources and funding to workshops that help professionals develop best practices to both solve and prevent gun-related crimes.

Administered by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Forensic Science Committee, the awards honour former Berkeley police chief August Vollmer, a leading figure in the development of forensics in the United States. The Forensic Science Committee will hold a reception and ceremony to honour the award recipients on the evening Sunday, October 26th, 2014, at the IACP's 121st Annual Conference to be held in Orlando, Florida.

Further information about Ultra Electronics Forensic Technology:

Forensic Technology pioneered automated ballistics identification more than 20 years ago and continues to be a leader in ballistics and firearm identification technologies that promote a safer society. We partner with hundreds of law enforcement agencies in nearly 70 countries and territories, providing cost-effective and sustainable solutions.

Launched in 2013, IBIS® TRAX-HD3D™ is the latest generation of IBIS technology which incorporates all of the benefits of IBIS and raises them to an entirely new dimension of crime solving value. Using increased automation and new high-definition 3D imaging, IBIS TRAX-HD3D has the ability to capture crucial data at the nanometer level for better correlation accuracy. And its legacy 2D imaging leverages visualization and ensures backward compatibility with earlier IBIS systems.

In 2011, Forensic Technology acquired Projectina Ltd. a specialized Swiss company in the field of computation, development and manufacture of optical and opto-electronical components and systems for demanding technical areas. Together, Forensic Technology and Projectina offer a wider range of products and services that serve the law enforcement community.

In 2014, Forensic Technology became a part of Ultra Electronics, an internationally-renowned defense, security, transport and energy company. The Group has a broad range of distinct market and technology niches within its twenty-nine businesses. Ultra is able to support all of the main prime contractors with specialist capabilities and solutions. Ultra's systems, equipment and services are often mission-critical, securing its position for the long term and offering superior financial performance.

Ultra offers support to its customers through the design, delivery and support phases of a program. Ultra businesses have a high degree of operational autonomy where the local management teams are empowered to devise and implement competitive strategies that reflect their expertise in their specific niches. The group has a small head office and executive team that provide to the individual businesses the same agile, responsive support that they provide to customers as well as formulating Ultra's overarching corporate strategy.