Title: Inspections of Firearms Dealers by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Publication Date: July 2004

What does it say?

In this report the Office of the Inspector General assesses the effectiveness of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) procedures and policies when ensuring Federal Firearm Licensees (FFLs) are complying with federal firearms laws.

The study identified many shortcomings with ATF’s enforcement program, including failure to:  1) conduct on-site inspections of all prospective licensees, 2) conduct compliance inspection on all current licensees, and 3) revoke licenses and do so in a timely manner.

The report concluded that “ATF’s FFL inspection program is too limited and inconsistent to ensure that FFLs comply with federal firearms laws.”

How can I use it?

Use this report as inform advocacy for new legal authority for ATF to crack down on corrupt gun dealers and for more resources for the agency.

Citation

Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Inspections of Firearms Dealers by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (July 2004) 53, Report No. I-2004-005

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