NCJ Number
82245
Date Published
1981
Length
71 pages
Annotation
This Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) report presents the agency's legal authority for firearms enforcement; describes the legal supply system and criminal demand for firearms; states BATF's objective, role, and strategy for firearms enforcement; and states the agency's firearms policy.
Abstract
BATF has been responsible for enforcement of Federal firearms legislation since enactment of the National Firearms Act in 1934. BATF's long-range objective is to reduce the criminal misuse of firearms and assist State and local law enforcement agencies in their efforts to suppress crime and violence. About 100-200 million firearms are in circulation, of which as few as 100,000 to 500,000 are required by criminal users to meet their demands each year. Firearms migrate out of the legitimate supply system through burglaries, thefts, private transfers, gun show sales, and dealer sales. BATF has concentrated on identifying and apprehending repeat or significant suppliers of firearms to criminals, preventing the flow of firearms to criminal hands, assisting in the apprehension of major criminals, cooperating with the firearms industry to develop public awareness and firearms security programs, improving the capabilities of State and local law enforcement to combat firearms crime, and developing a firearms data base and intelligence system on gun crimes and crime guns. BATF's policy is to enforce the Gun Control Act of 1968 and to regulate the firearms industry as required by the act. BATF has developed specific policies in the following areas: regulation (licensing, inspection, education), Federal firearms law enforcement, cooperation with and support to other agencies, and firearms seizure policy. The agency's regulation, enforcement, seizure, and cooperation policy is spelled out. The Director of BATF comments further on the agency's law enforcement efforts and accomplishments.