Yesterday I wrote a comment about how our friends at The Trace have published a rather interesting piece about the ATF’s policy covering gun shop inspections and basically gotten It all wrong. Today I’m going to continue my little exercise in correcting mistakes made by journalists who think they understand the gun industry when they don’t understand it at all, covering yet another issue that The Trace discussed which adds up to zilch.
I’m referring to the following statement about the scope of the ATF’s regulatory activities: “The ATF is responsible for policing the 78,000 gun dealers, manufacturers and importers in the U.S. In the 2020 fiscal year, as the coronavirus pandemic snarled government operations, the ATF inspected only 5,827 licensed dealers, or 7.5 percent — the lowest annual inspection rate since 2004.”
The ATF can’t even inspect one out of every ten retail stores? That’s a pretty piss-poor job if you ask me. Because if 90% of the gun dealers can go a whole year without having to worry about running their business in a legal and legitimate way, no wonder so many guns wind up in the street and are used to commit so many violent crimes.
Ready? Here we go.
I have been listening to this nonsense about how the country is inundated with gun dealers for years. The statement has absolutely no connection to the reality of the gun business at all. Not one bit.
The fact that someone sends the ATF $300, passes a background check, and is issued a federal dealer’s license doesn’t mean that he will ever sell a single gun to another soul. On the other hand, if I want to open a retail store and sell products to the public – guns, coffee, cat litter, anything else – getting a license from the Feds because it’s guns I’m going to sell is the least licensing requirement I need to worry about.
Before I open my doors to my first customer, I’m going to need to register with the state revenue people because I have to charge, collect, and remit sales tax. In most jurisdictions I’ll also need a local and/or state business license, along with insurance, a commercial bank account and maybe I should register as a corporation just in case.
How many of those almost 80,000 people holding those ATF dealer, manufacturer and importer licenses have gone to the trouble of actually setting up a place to do business, going out and getting all the licenses and fulfilling all the other paperwork and commercial requirements that have to be met before they can sell one, blessed thing?
Take my state, which is Massachusetts. Right now, there are 364 residents in Massachusetts who hold a current gun dealer’s license from the ATF. Presently there are 36 retail gun dealers doing business in this state.
The ATF says it conducted 11 inspections in Massachusetts from 2015 through 2017. So, if we follow the argument made by The Trace, it looks like the ATF inspected 3 percent of the gun dealers in Massachusetts over those three years. In fact, they inspected roughly one-third of all the locations where someone can actually purchase a gun.
Nearly all the folks holding federal gun licenses use these licenses to buy guns for themselves either directly from other dealers or from wholesalers because on such a direct purchase they will save upwards of 30 percent or more of what they would pay if they walked into a gun shop and bought the same gun over the counter in a retail sale.
Mail-order sales to individuals across state lines were outlawed by the federal gun-control law passed in 1968 (GCA68), because that’s how Lee Harvey Oswald acquired the rifle which he used to assassinate JFK. And which Federal agency did GCA68 designate to regulate dealer-to-dealer movement of guns? That’s right – the ATF.
I am still waiting for the first gun journalist who writes about the shockingly large number of gun dealers selling all those guns that end up in the ‘wrong’ hands to sit down and take the trouble to figure out how many physical locations actually exist where someone can legally purchase a gun.
This exercise has not yet been performed by my friends at The Trace, but they know ‘for a fact’ that the ATF only inspects less than 10% of all gun dealers every year.
They know. Yea, right.
Jun 02, 2021 @ 20:11:44
Last week it was reported that Chicago officials could find only 2 time when people on bail for gun cases contributed to Chicago’s violence. Maybe the ATF could stop looking at the gun shops and start helping Chicago in their record keeping and prosecuting gun cases.
Maybe I can help by pointing out some recent cases. These are people which are charged with committing murder, attempted murder, or shooting someone while on bail for gun cases. Perhaps this will help reporters and researchers in the future.
Demond Goudy, one of two gunmen prosecutors say killed 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams as she sat in her father’s car in a McDonald’s drive-thru last month, was on bond for four separate felony cases, including one for illegal gun possession at the time of the alleged crime, according to prosecutors. On April 5, Semaj Dixon chased down and killed another man while he was supposed to be on electronic monitoring for a pending gun case, prosecutors said. Jesus Moro is accused of killing a gang rival over a haircut in February. He was on bond for allegedly firing a handgun outside an elementary school in Little Village at the time. Demetris Johnson was on bail for armed habitual criminal and escape when he allegedly escaped from electronic monitoring and killed a man on January 27. Xavier Encarnacion was on bail for his third gun case when he allegedly participated in the murder of a man, he perceived to be a rival gang member in January. In March, prosecutors said Shevell Wilson helped kill a rival gang member last summer after he posted $200 to get out of jail on felony gun charges. Jalen Saulsberry, accused of killing a retired Chicago Fire Department lieutenant during a botched carjacking on December 3, was on a recognizance bond for gun charges at the time of the murder. Prosecutors charged Jermaine Morris with trying to kill an off-duty cop on New Year’s Day. Morris was released on bail for being a felon in possession of a firearm two weeks before the alleged slaying attempt.
Related reporting
At least 32 people charged with murder in Chicago last year were free on bail at the time of the killings (January 5, 2021) A man accused of committing murder while on affordable bail in 2020 (January 9, 2021) Another man, free on bail for two felonies, charged with killing retired fireman in botched carjacking (January 22, 2021) Man killed rival gang member while on bail for felony gun charge, prosecutors say (April 5, 2021) Fellow gang member killed rapper Tray Savage while on bond for felony drug case, prosecutors say (April 26, 2021) 16-year-old charged with shooting man during robbery while awaiting trial for felony (January 12, 2021) Man fatally shot girlfriend while on electronic monitoring for November gun case, prosecutors say (January 20, 2021) On bail for 3 separate felony cases, “fanged” man now charged with killing 12-year-old in DUI crash (January 23, 2021) Man on affordable bail for his 3rd felony gun case is charged with weekend murder (January 28, 2021) Man charged with murder while on bail for 3rd gun case and escape (February 5, 2021) Man, on bail for attempted murder and robbery, charged with killing woman while speeding away from police traffic stop (February 25, 2021) Teen accused of shooting driver during Wednesday carjacking is awaiting trial for 3 felonies, prosecutors say (February 25, 2021) “Highly active” gang member charged with killing rival over haircut — while on affordable bail (March 4, 2021) On bail for five burglaries, man set fire to home, killing girlfriend and 10-year-old girl, prosecutors say (March 12, 2021) Man, on bail for gun case, is charged with attempted murder for shooting at carjacking victims (March 17, 2021) Man who shot cop and passerby hoped to be killed by CPD, prosecutors say (March 20, 2021) Man charged with shooting co-worker while on affordable bail for Lincoln Park carjacking (April 2, 2021) Two more men charged with shooting people in Chicago while on bail for felony cases (April 4, 2021) Man murdered childhood friend while awaiting trial on federal gun charges, prosecutors say (April 13, 2021) Man chased down and killed victim while on electronic monitoring for gun case, prosecutors say (April 18, 2021) 16-year-old charged with murder, robbery in alleged pot dealer rip-off (April 19, 2021) Man charged murder of 7-year-old at McDonald’s drive-thru has 2 pending felony cases, prosecutors say (April 25, 2021) Second man charged with killing 7-year-old at McDonald’s was on 4 felony bonds, including robbery and gun cases
Wouldn’t it be nice if The Trace could/would look at the real problems of the rise of crime across this country instead of doing a half-ass job? But then again time is money and reporters, researchers, bloggers and others like to just look at the low hanging fruit…guns!
Jun 03, 2021 @ 09:55:13
Here’s another: Police found 55 shell casings after three men engaged in a shootout on the Diversey River Bowl’s parking lot early Tuesday, June 1st. Prosecutors have filed charges against one of the alleged shooters…again. The shooter was Robin Burks, 28, who was on bail for a PENDING GUN CASE when he allegedly exchanged fire with the other men after an argument on the parking lot at 2211 West Diversey. Burks’ pregnant girlfriend was shot in the leg during the incident, prosecutors said.
Maybe if we could just pass another gun law the problem would be solved. (How stupid can one be?)
Wonder when reporters, researchers, bloggers and others will start looking at the real problems that are plaguing our society?
Or maybe it’s just as simple as in the words of Col. Jessup in a Few Good Men…You can’t handle the truth!
Jun 03, 2021 @ 12:09:14
This man can handle the truth…
Chicago Man Released on Ankle Band After Almost Running Over Cops in the Whip – YouTube