ATF: Like You and Me, only Better!

I’m sure all the FFLs who read this blog will be happy to hear that the agency in charge of auditing their inventory isn’t very good at keeping track of their own inventory:

ATF agents are losing track of their government-issued firearms at an alarming rate, according to a new report, with records showing multiple instances where officers forgot their guns after leaving them on top of cars, in bathrooms and in automobile glove compartments.

…Though most of the lost weapons were handguns, the newspaper reported that at least two were assault rifles. The report detailed two incidents where agents left their guns on the roof of a car. One Illinois agent placed his Smith & Wesson on top of his car while dropping off his children at a soccer game, and drove away. The gun was later found on an off-ramp.

Another North Dakota agent left his gun on his car roof and forgot about it, until his daughter drove the car to a friend’s house, according to the article. The gun was never found.

In yet another incident, two boys in Iowa reportedly found an ATF gun in a storm drain. Only then did the responsible agent tell investigators he had misplaced the gun.

So we have one agent losing his gun, and only mentioning AFTER the gun was found by some kids! Yeah “Lost and Stolen” is such a good law idea.

Also what’s with leaving your gun on the roof of a car? I’ve heard of this being done with various items, all the way up to an infant car seat, compleat with infant. But these are big items placed on the roof so other items could be loaded. What’s with pistols being put on the roof of a car for ANY reason? Don’t agents have holsters? Don’t they have immunity from local carry laws so they can leave the gun on their belt when not in use?

Even an M4 Carbine is light and handy so you don’t need to leave it on the damn roof.

Gotta love this little dagger twist!

According to the report, the ATF has a bigger problem with lost or stolen weapons than other federal law enforcement agencies. The newspaper previously reported on a questionable operation in Milwaukee during which an ATF machine gun was stolen from an agent’s truck in 2012. All these incidents are separate from the discontinued Operation Fast and Furious, which allowed hundreds of guns to be sold and carried into Mexico as part of an anti-trafficking sting.

Keep ringing that bell! Only there was never any endgame for Fast and Furious to arrest traffickers, it was just an international run-around Heller.

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3 Responses to ATF: Like You and Me, only Better!

  1. Jon says:

    Dang, I wish they’d lose an assault rifle in front of my house sometime. I’m always picking up litter out there.

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