Biden’s Gun Control: Many Dealers Lose Licenses in Admin Crackdown, Law Enforcement Warns of Consequences.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Cracks Down on Gun Dealers
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is intensifying its efforts to strip gun dealers of their federal firearms licenses (FFLs). These licenses, which allow businesses to sell firearms for profit, are being revoked at an increasing rate, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The ATF has already revoked 122 FFLs from dealers in this fiscal year alone, compared to 90 in all of fiscal year 2022 and just 27 in fiscal year 2021, as reported by the Western Journal.
This strict enforcement has sparked controversy among law enforcement, with some police officers opposing actions that could discourage gun sellers from cooperating with federal authorities to combat crime, according to the Wall Street Journal.
ATF Director Defends Actions
ATF Director Steve Dettelbach is standing by the agency’s actions, arguing that the dealers in question do not deserve the “privilege” of engaging in firearm transactions.
“We’ve taken steps to hold accountable those few dealers who are engaging in these willful violations,” he said. “They’re not going to have the privilege of being a gun dealer anymore.”
ATF posted the results of FFL compliance inspections involving violations of the @TheJusticeDept Enhanced Regulatory Enforcement. The data posted involves ATF inspections between July 2021 and December 2022. Read more at https://t.co/NrP6lVQOxy. #ATF pic.twitter.com/Cl3v4gUAOR
— ATF HQ (@ATFHQ) March 29, 2023
However, one retired ATF official is cautioning that this heavy-handed approach may deprive the agency of crucial allies in the fight against gun trafficking and illegal straw purchases of firearms.
“The gun dealers were our first line of defense against gun trafficking,” said retired deputy assistant director Peter Forcelli in an interview with the Journal. “Why are we now beating an ally into submission?”
The ATF considers five violations of firearms law as grounds for immediate FFL revocation, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation. These violations include refusing to permit an ATF inspection or selling a firearm to a prohibited person, such as a drug addict or felon.
The Biden administration is also considering new regulatory powers that would redefine the requirements for possessing an FFL to sell guns. This move could potentially tighten regulations on nearly all private gun sales.
The proposed rule, expected to be implemented in early 2024, would mandate that anyone engaged in the sale of firearms for profit must possess an FFL. This would alter the current understanding of American firearms law, which only requires a license for those whose principal means of living is the sale of firearms.
For more information, read the full article here.
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