By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
More than 20,000 guns were purchased by people the FBI deemed unfit to own firearms in the past 15 years because of a disagreement between the bureau and ATF.
A new report from the Office of Inspector General reveals a loophole that allowed people to buy guns, even though they were deemed unfit, the Christian Science Monitor reports.
The responsibility for running background checks on prospective gun owners belongs to the FBI.
But the ATF and FBI disagree on who qualifies as a “fugitive of justice,” a label that is supposed to prevent prospective buyers from purchasing guns.
The FBI believes anyone with an outstanding warrant should not be allowed to purchase a gun. But the ATF disagrees, saying people who with warrants should be allowed to buy guns in the state where the warrant was issued, but not in other states.
“We recommend that the OLC issue an opinion as soon as possible to clarify the correct definition of the ‘fugitive from justice’ category of the persons prohibited from purchasing a firearm,” the review concluded. “Only then can ATF and the FBI be certain the law is being applied appropriately and as intended.”
We can hardly keep track of anything related to weapons purchases anymore, with so many trade shows and black market operations afoot, not to mention the oversight between the ATF and FBI. There seems to be a bit of miscomunnication between the two agencies over what defines a “fugitive”, seeing that over 2,000 gun transactions in the last 15 years should not have been allowed. Not to mention, the ATF doesnt have a computerized system to aid in the tracking of gun sales…. in the year 2016, they are using paper files and microfiche!
More on this issue: https://acmebail.com/2016/10/07/guns-fbi-vs-atf/