The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives failed to properly manage the training, supervision and impact associated with its undercover storefront operations, according to the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.
In a report released Sept. 8, the DOJ OIG examines several ATF undercover storefront operations, explained as an operation "in which law enforcement operates a fake business or establishment from a location where illicit merchandise is exchanged or services are rendered." The cases — in Milwaukee, Pensacola, St. Louis, Wichita, Boston, and Portland, Oregon — provided opportunities to examine any systemic deficiencies in the ATF’s storefront policies and the effectiveness of the ATF’s Monitored Case Program, according to the report’s executive summary.
The review, prompted by news reports and public scrutiny of an operation in Milwaukee in 2013, determined that the ATF did not provide the heightened management scrutiny necessary for the agency's sensitive cases. While there were no overarching problems, more strategic planning, better staff training, and consolidated support and oversight should be used to mitigate risks and target the crime problem that a storefront operation was designed to address.
Despite allegations that ATF intentionally targeted or used individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities in its storefront investigations because of their disability, no evidence was found. However, DOJ will be monitoring to ensure its efforts comply with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities.
Recognizing that storefront operations can be an important component of ATF's efforts to fight violent crime, the OIG delivered recommendations on how the ATF can best handle initiation, planning, safety and security, oversight, intelligence, vulnerable populations, revisions to the Storefront Investigations Manual, and training in regard to future investigative proposals and operations.
The complete report can be viewed on the OIG's website.
