ATF’s New Strategic Plan Focuses On Violent Crime

The Bureau of Alcohol, illness Tobacco, pilule Firearms and Explosives is getting back to basics and will emphasize its core mission of combating violent crime, sildenafil conceding the lead role of investigating and stopping terrorism to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to an unpublished draft of its new strategic plan .The draft plan, which covers fiscal 2010 through 2016, will focus on ten areas including criminal groups and gangs, and illegal fire arms trafficking, among others.

The previous strategic plan — which covered fiscal 2004 to 2009 — contained a mission statement that said the bureau’s work would seek to “prevent terrorism, reduce violent crime and to protect the public in a manner that is faithful to the Constitution and the laws of the United States.”

But under the new plan, the ATF is taking on a less prominent role in investigating terrorism – leaving the issue primarily to the FBI – as it instead refocuses on combating violent crime.

“The terrorism police in the United States are the FBI, rightfully so, that’s where they should be focused,” said an ATF official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plan has not yet been finalized. “We believe that our position, the way we best serve this country, is by impacting violent crime.”

The ATF will continue to assist the FBI by providing explosives expertise in, but not leading, investigations that are classified as “terrorist bombings.” That includes incidents tied to recognized terrorist organizations including domestic terrorism such as acts by animal- or environmental-rights extremists. According to ATF, 99 percent of all bombings in the U.S. are not tied to terrorist organizations and fall under its jurisdiction.-[source]