NCJ Number
82244
Date Published
1981
Length
171 pages
Annotation
Testimony is heard on the problems the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) is having in firearms enforcement efforts under current laws and on the agency's specific programs and proposals for stemming the flow of illegal gun traffic around the United States.
Abstract
Those testifying include representatives of BATF, Congress, and the National Coalition To Ban Handguns. Background information on BATF's legal authority for firearms enforcement is provided along with descriptions of the legal supply system and criminal demand for firearms; BATF's objectives, role, and strategies for firearms enforcement; and the BATF firearms policy. Recent bills questioning BATF enforcement responsibility and authority are explained. One bill would transfer enforcement authority from the Treasury Department to the Justice Department, and another would leave authority with BATF but would curtail the Federal enforcement authority in a number of respects. Case examples of BATF vindictiveness, violations of individual rights, and bureaucratic difficulties are also cited. Congressional representatives from Idaho, Illinois, Virginia, New York, and Oklahoma all comment on BATF abuses and the proposed bills. Relevant State statutes and forms are included.