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Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms: Few Firearms Licensees Had Complaints About Inspections

NCJ Number
141132
Date Published
1992
Length
45 pages
Annotation
The experiences of Federally licensed firearms dealers and pawnbrokers with inspections by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) were studied using information gathered through interviews with officials at ATF and a questionnaire survey of the firearms dealers and pawnbrokers for whom ATF inspection reports had been filed during April 1992.
Abstract
The survey was mailed to 375 licensees, and responses were received from 283. It sought to determine whether licensees had encountered problems with ATF's compliance inspections, whether licensees had complained to ATF about problems, whether they believed that ATF had fairly addressed their complaints, and how well ATF was performing its regulatory responsibilities. Results revealed that 26 licensees reported problems and that 15 were able to resolve all problems. Of the 11 others, only 1 complained to higher- level ATF officials and believed that the complaint had been handled fairly. Only one licensee believed that the complaint had been handled somewhat unfairly. Seventy-six percent of the licensees believed that ATF was carrying out its regulatory responsibilities very well or extremely well, while 17 percent believed ATF's performance to be adequate. However, 7 percent believed that ATF was carrying out its responsibilities marginally or not very well. Appended methodological information, figures and charts presenting survey results, and survey instrument.