Our country has a gun violence problem. It’s not possible to deny it — the numbers speak for themselves. No other industrialized country has rates of gun violence like we do. There have been more than 230 mass shootings in the United States so far this year. And that doesn’t count the everyday gun suicides, homicides, and unintentional shootings that don’t make the news.
The solution is not an easy one. But there are ways we can make a difference.
For decades, Congress has kept a heel on the one agency specifically focused on keeping firearms out of the reach of criminals. That agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), has remained the same size for years, with a budget severely limited by outdated legislation. At the behest of the gun lobby, some members of Congress have placed their focus on not only limiting ATF’s budget and staffing, but also on quashing attempts to modernize and increase efficiency.
Because of this, ATF has been stalled in its critical efforts to track lost and stolen guns. I spent my career at ATF working with law enforcement agencies around the country that were trying to keep their neighborhoods safe from people who use guns illegally. My focus was on firearms trafficking, tracing the origin of guns that had been lost or stolen and later used in crimes. Many people in government and in the general public don’t understand how important this process is for protecting public safety. If we don’t start taking it seriously, our country’s gun violence epidemic is only going to get worse — not better.
The best way to start addressing these problems is stop appointing interim leaders at ATF and appoint a career agent to serve as director. He or she must be smart, experienced, capable of strong reasoning, and a natural leader. Recently, President Biden nominated David Chipman, a former colleague of mine and 25-year veteran of ATF, to serve as head of the agency. David spent more than two decades working to investigate shootings and other firearms related crimes. He has navigated the myriad confusing and often outdated laws and regulations bestowed upon ATF and is well versed in the obstacles that hamstring ATF’s ability to fight violence.
ATF has been prohibited from using information technology tools that are readily available in other agencies to effectively trace firearms recovered in crimes. This has wasted tremendous time and resources at the ATF National Tracing Center in West Virginia — while countless lives are on the line. Instead of fully automated records to search for the sources of guns used in crimes, these firearms traces are conducted through a wide range of inefficient platforms, including hand searches through literally thousands of boxes of records. Currently, each firearm trace is directed toward several hundred million records. The immense strain this places on limited staff and the delay it results in for law enforcement are in no one’s best interest.
ATF’s staffing is so limited that the majority of licensed firearms dealers do not have the benefit of annual compliance inspections. These inspections help licensees ensure they are following the very confusing firearms sales and recordkeeping requirements. In 2020 — a year that saw a record number of gun sales — 55 percent fewer licensed dealers received an inspection than in 2019 (13,079 inspections in 2019 compared to 5,827 inspections in 2020). Firearms licensees need guidance to avoid inadvertent violations of the laws and regulations which have become remarkably confusing. And ATF needs modern tools to identify those few dealers that use their firearms licenses to purposefully move firearms from lawful commerce and into the hands of those intent on using them to harm the public.
For the sake of public safety, we can’t continue to insist that ATF tackle 21st century crimes with 20th century resources. David Chipman, President Biden’s nomination for ATF director, has served his nation well, both during his time at ATF and in the time since. Since retiring, he has continued to work to increase public safety against the threat of armed violence.
At a time when we increasingly fear gun violence, our nation needs someone who understands the threats we face today. It is my hope that David will be confirmed and steer ATF — and our country — into safer waters.
Benjamin Hayes is a former Branch Chief of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with more than 30 years of law enforcement experience including running a firearms trafficking task force.