ATF loses 76 weapons and other stuff

Discussion in 'Firearms' started by eeyore, Sep 17, 2008.


  1. eeyore

    eeyore Monkey+++

    Audit: ATF lost 76 weapons, hundreds of laptops
    By LARA JAKES JORDAN – 1 hour ago

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The ATF lost 76 weapons and hundreds of laptops over five years, the Justice Department reported Wednesday, blaming carelessness and sloppy record-keeping.

    Thirty-five of the missing handguns, rifles, Tasers and other weapons were stolen, as were 50 laptops, the internal audit found. Two of the stolen weapons were used in crimes.

    The audit by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn A. Fine found "inadequate" oversight of weapons and laptops resulted in "significant rates of losses" at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

    "It is especially troubling that that ATF's rate of loss for weapons was nearly double that of the FBI and DEA, and that ATF did not even know whether most of its lost, stolen, or missing laptop computers contained sensitive or classified information," he added.

    In a Sept. 10 letter responding to the audit, ATF acting Director Michael J. Sullivan said his agency "agrees or partially agrees with most of the recommendations."

    "We are revising our procedures of reporting losses of weapons or laptops," Sullivan said.

    The audit looked at ATF's inventory of weapons, laptops, ammunition and explosives between Oct. 1, 2002 and Aug. 31, 2007.

    It found that ATF lost three times more weapons each month than it had in a similar 2002 audit by the Treasury Department, which used to oversee the agency. It also lost 50 times as many laptops as reported in the earlier audit.

    Of the 76 weapons, 35 were reported stolen, 19 lost and 12 missing from inventories, investigators found. Of the 418 missing laptops, 50 were stolen, 8 lost and 274 could not be found during inventory. Another 86 laptops were unaccounted for because ATF had either destroyed or lost documents showing where they were, the audit concluded.

    Two weapons reported stolen were used to commit crimes. In one instance, a gun was stolen from an ATF car parked outside the agent's home and later used to shoot through the window of another residence, the audit found. In the other, a stolen ATF gun was taken from a burglary suspect.

    Additionally, ATF employees did not report 13 of the 76 lost weapons, or 365 of the 418 missing laptops, to internal affairs as required. ATF officials also did not report much of the lost equipment to the Justice Department.

    Investigators could not conclude what was on 398 of 418 missing laptops — except that few were encrypted. That means any sensitive material on the laptops could have been exposed.

    Moreover, "we found that ATF did not regularly attempt to determine whether the lost, stolen or missing laptop computers contained sensitive or classified information," the audit said.

    But few — only 18 of 7,500 — ATF laptops were authorized to hold classified information.

    Compared to weapons loss rates for the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration, the ATF misplaced almost twice as many guns. The audit found that the ATF lost .52 weapons per 1,000 employees, compared to .29 at the FBI and .28 at the DEA.

    Fine's investigators concluded there were proper controls and oversight of explosives in ATF's possession, and good security for ammunition. However, nine of 20 ATF field offices surveyed did not have proper accounting methods for ammunition.

    In a statement responding to the audit, ATF Assistant Director W. Larry Ford said the agency disciplined employees whose carelessness or improper handling of equipment resulted in losses.

    "ATF is committed to safeguarding its inventory of weapons and laptop computers in the interest of public safety," Ford said. "ATF agrees that rigorous and thorough internal controls will enhance its ability to account for, and most importantly prevent, thefts and losses of weapons and laptop computers."

    On the Net:
    The Justice Department's report can be found at: http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/reports/ATF/a0829/final.pdf

    http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h6GUCa3juJ4EtOVNbY0PnNvwjf9QD938H5AG0
     
  2. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    oh well....I suppose it could be worse...I suppose.
     
  3. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Keystone Kops material. It would be funny were it not so pathetic. I've become more and more convinced that it is time to disband that outfit and divide the charter among more stable folks, if indeed any of it really is necessary.
     
  4. CBMS

    CBMS Looking for a safe place

    lol this sounds like something you'd hear about from the onion... and usually ends with Oh-well-what-can-you-do....
    Sheesh.
    +1 to SC
     
  5. Tackleberry

    Tackleberry Krieg Hündchen

    The BATF needs to be disbanned.

    To the BATF thugs watching this site, you can kiss my white ass!

    [devilfu]
     
  6. Quigley_Sharps

    Quigley_Sharps The Badministrator Administrator Founding Member

    LOL what a bunch of F ups
     
  7. Blackjack

    Blackjack Monkey+++

    If they performed an audit of an FFL holder/dealer that turned out this bad they would revoke his ffl and throw him in jail.
     
  8. Tango3

    Tango3 Aimless wanderer

    'Zactly( These are the folks who have a coniption fit if a "t" is not crossed or a state is abbreviated in the minisciule"state" block Lousy self important Bueracrats!
     
  9. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    Don't hold nothin back, Tack...tell us how you feel![lolol]
     
  10. BAT1

    BAT1 Cowboys know no fear

    Is any body dong their job out there? Hello? This is the most incompetant government in history.
     
  11. Quigley_Sharps

    Quigley_Sharps The Badministrator Administrator Founding Member

    Exactly hopefully all FLL holders you get it from the ATF fights them in court with the example they didn't set.
     
  12. Conagher

    Conagher Dark Custom Rider Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Very good point Quigs........I hope you're right.
     
  13. jim2

    jim2 Monkey+++

    They should be charged the same as they would an FFL had "lost" these weapons. I'm guessing most or all the long guns were class III's. Losing something like that would get all of us locked up for 20+ years. Bet nothing happens to these criminals either.

    jim
     
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