WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the federal agency responsible for investigating instances where firearms are lost or stolen from federal firearms licensees (FFL), is releasing its Calendar Year (CY) 2016 FFL Thefts/Loss Report, available on the ATF website, www.atf.gov. Part of the ATF core mission is to protect the public from violent crime involving the use of firearms, including firearms stolen from FFLs and used by violent offenders in the commission of crimes, posing a substantial threat to the public and law enforcement.
A total of 18,394 lost or stolen firearms were reported nationwide last year from FFLs. Of those firearms, 9,113 were reported as lost. Firearms are considered lost when an FFL takes a firearm into its inventory and later cannot account for the disposition of the firearm from its inventory during an inventory reconciliation.
We encourage all residents to get involved and assist us in our goal of reducing crime in our neighborhoods by anonymously submitting information through our new ATF Tips app (Android and iOS), visiting the reportit website, submitting an anonymous form, or by reaching out to your local field office. Give us a call and let us know what we can do for you.