Review of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Enforcement of Brady Act Violations Identified Through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System

Report Number I-2004-006
July 2004

		U.S. Department of Justice Executive Office for United States Attorneys Office of the Director
		RFK Main Justice Building, Room 2616 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530 July 15, 2004

Paul A. Price Assistant Inspector General   for Evaluation and Inspections Office of the Inspector General U.S. Department of Justice   Re: Review of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearn1s and Explosives' Enforcement of Brady Act Violations Identified Through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (A-2004-001) Dear Mr. Price: This is in response to your recent memorandum which accompanied your draft report in the above-referenced matter. Your draft report included one recommendation for the Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA): Ensure that annually each USAO provides the A TF with specific prosecutorial guidelines for NICS cases. EOUSA concurs with the recommendation insofar as it seeks to ensure better communications between the U.S. Attorney's Offices (USAOs) and their counterpart ATF offices regarding the prosecution of NICS cases. In July 2001, EOUSA directed all USAOs to review and revise their respective NICS case guidelines in accordance with the Attorney General's directive of June 28, 2001, and the USAOs complied with this request. In light of the above recommendation, EOUSA will take steps to encourage each USAO to review these guidelines annually, to update the guidelines if necessary, and to ensure that any updated guidelines are provided to ATF. Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your recommendation. If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, [original signed] Mary Beth Buchanan Director