ATF Transfer to Justice Dept. Proposed

Josey1

ATF Transfer to Justice Dept. Proposed


By Stephen Barr
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 11, 2002; Page A15


In another step toward realigning the government's law enforcement operations, the White House plans to ask Congress to consider moving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms from the Treasury Department to the Justice Department, administration officials said yesterday.

The proposal to shift ATF to Justice follows President Bush's decision to send two other large Treasury agencies -- the U.S. Customs Service and the Secret Service -- to the proposed Department of Homeland Security.

The decision to transfer those two agencies prompted Treasury to review where ATF would best fit in the government, a Treasury official said.

According to the official, the review indicated that ATF's mission was focused on law enforcement and more in tune with Justice, which is home to the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, rather than the homeland department, which seems on track to get agencies focused on border and transportation security.

"We're very proud of ATF and the work that they have done," the official said. "We felt the Department of Justice mission is most consistent with their objectives."

But the official said the administration would be open to debate on whether all of ATF should move to Justice or if some of its functions should remain at Treasury.

ATF has about 5,000 employees and an annual budget of more than $850 million. The agency investigates bombing and arson cases and tries to prevent the illicit use of alcohol, tobacco and firearms.


c 2002 The Washington Post Company

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64070-2002Sep10.html


"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878

offeror

I don't know that this will have any "civilizing" effects on BATF and their relationship with lawful gun owners and dealers, but as long as Ashcroft tells Justice how to relate to the Second Amendment, maybe it couldn't hurt... Trouble is, one has to think about how this could affect their mandate under a Democratic administration too. I sure don't want to see BATF any more subject to political whim than it is already.

- Life NRA Member
"If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878

leeblackman

I'm hopeful in seeing positive effects with this, such as a move toward getting rid of the ATF all together...

If I'm wrong please correct me, I won't be offended.

The sound of a 12 gauge pump clears a house fatser than Rosie O eats a Big Mac !

nitrouz

I bet we see more enforcement of laws on the books. Rumor is that they will be going to Kalifornia yard sales and prosecute folks who are selling bb guns without a FFL transferred involved.

dads-freehold

greetings, i know it won't happen but i'm in favor of dismantling the atf altogether. at the very least redefine the scope of their mandate ( when was the last time they investagated bootleg ciggerrates or booze). and if their mandate is to investagate , take their powers of arrest and give them to the us marchels. also disarm the sob's along with irs investagators but don't move them to justice, it's screwed up enough without more players. respt submitted dads-freehold

if your going to be a savage, be a headhunter

mark christian

I remember back in the early 1980's there was talk about doing away with the BATF all together and transfering its duties over to the Secret Service. Of course this never materialized. By my way of thinking moving the ATF over to the Justice Department would not be at all helpful to gun owners or dealers. As things stand today the ATF's mission is to regulate the firearms industry, investigate arrson and bombings, collect NFA taxes and the usual Alcohol and tobacco stuff...whatever that involves. Inside the Treasurry Dept. its duties are primarily regulatory, investigative, and tax collectoin. By moving the ATF of to the Justice Dept. I fear that the Bureau will automatically become another law enforcement agency and since there seem to be damn few stills or illegal tobacco growers to
take down, firearms will bear the brunt of their attention.
I may be wrong about this but it seems to me that the old Bureau of Narcotics used to be a part of the Treasury Dept.. When it became the DEA and moved to the Justice Dept. it turned into a kind of super police force operating far outside U.S. borders and getting involved in foreign politics. Hell, they even have Blackhawk helocopters! I'm not in any way talking about letting drugs into the United States or proposing that they be legalized- I oppose that. What I am saying is that once you give an agency a taste of power they want more...and a bigger budget to match.
Also keep in mind that the ATF budget right now comes from the Treasury and Postal appropriations. There have been many proposals to expand the BATF that have been stopped by simply cutting such money from the treasury/postal budget. A vote on such an issue really does not carry much weight as far as high profile. When are friends in congress have to vote to cut funds from the JUSTICE DEPT. to stop ATF expansion, that will look bad to many voters! Our friends opponents will use such votes against them in a way that they can not do now with the treasury/postal budget. "My opponent voted to cut the budget of the Justice Dept. and we are in the midst of a home security crisis!". How will that play back home in a good sized city?
I agree that right now with A.G. Ashcroft at the helm a move to the Justice Dept. may not be too bad. But how long can it last? No one ever paid much attention to the Secretary of the Treasury's power to ban certain types of "non sporting" firearms beyond imported handguns until Handgun Control pointed this out to Clinton and he got Sec. Bentsen to reclassify a few shotguns to destructive devices. They then tried to do the same type of thing by reclassifying in-line muzzel loaders as regular firearms. Congressional action stopped that in its tracks. Look at it this way; who would have been more dangerous to gun owners as the leader of the BATF: Janet Reno (A.G. Justice Dept.) or Robert Rubin (Sec. Treasury)? The A.G. is always going to have more influence on so called law enforcement matters. This is all my opinion and feel free to call me crazy if you like.

Mark T. Christian