A Parliamentary committee on gun and gang violence heard about technology that can trace where illegal guns are coming from.The information came from Pete Gagliardi, senior vice president of Forensic Technology, a Florida firm that specialises in such analysis.Mr Gagliardi told the cross-party committee he has 40 years of experience of dealing with gun crime.In 1999, he retired as the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms following 24 years of service.He’s also served as the bureau’s principle liaison to Congress.He now works for Forensic Technology, a Florida-based global company that assists law enforcement agencies to address gun crime and communicate intelligence information across agencies and borders.He explained that “every crime gun has a story to tell”.He said that each weapon has unique marks that are transferred onto the bullets and casings when the firing pin strikes the primer.He added that investigators can also look for DNA, fingerprints, hairs and fibres on the outside of the gun. These things can be translated into intelligence that can link a gun to prior crimes or a series of crimes.Mr. Gagliardi talked the committee through the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS) which is a global database offered by his company.He explained how it can assist law enforcement agencies in identifying patterns and trends, and could be useful to find out “where are the firearms coming from that are being used in Bermuda?”.He added: “Unless we are able to collect all this data and analyse it, we don’t know what the gun problem is”.Mr Gagliardi pointed out that, since guns are illegal on the Island and are not sold here, they must be smuggled in from overseas, which is why an international database of intelligence could be helpful.IBIS is used in 57 countries and has generated 34,000 matches to firearms that have linked 70,000 crimes.Mr Gagliardi got in touch with the committee because he is a regular visitor to Bermuda for vacations.He admitted he did not know what technology the Bermuda Police Service is utilising but said his company would be happy to hold a free workshop with service representatives.Committee chairman Randy Horton told him: “I hope you get the chance to speak and present to the Police Service.”The next speaker was Major Shawn Critch, Divisional Commander for the Salvation Army.He advocated a “restorative” approach to criminal justice, with an emphasis on healing rather than retribution. He said a halfway house for those leaving prison could be helpful.Major Critch also recommended educational programmes for primary school children thus “ensuring that they are aware of the reality, that they are aware of the possibilities for the future and they can become part of the solution at that young age rather than waiting to target the age bracket of 16”.“The Salvation Army would support engaging our young people in this reality in a way that’s sensitive to them and sensitive to their needs, but they are the generation that will continue to face this reality if we’re not able to break this cycle.”The committee, which will eventually send recommendations to the House of Assembly, resumes today at 10am in the Senate Chamber.Speakers will include defence lawyers Larry Scott and Marc Daniels.