Do Not Sacrifice Law Enforcement Lives for Political Gain

Special Interest Politics Should Never Rise Above Protecting Law Enforcement Lives

Senior officials in the Biden administration are considering removing a law that safeguards police investigations tracing firearms recovered at crime scenes.

This potential decision could have serious consequences:

• It may endanger the lives of law enforcement personnel.
• It could compromise ongoing investigations.
• It might damage the integrity of cases being built by special agents and local law enforcement to combat illegal firearm trafficking.

Some believe that this move is driven by fulfilling political favors to special interest groups and donors.

Rumors suggest that certain senior Biden administration officials will push for the repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment.

This law, established in 2003, protects law enforcement sensitive trace data within the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ National Tracing Center’s Firearm Tracing System.

This database contains firearms recovered and traced by law enforcement in legitimate criminal investigations.

The Tiahrt Amendment allows law enforcement to access and share trace information within the law enforcement community while preventing its public disclosure outside of law enforcement.

However, there are concerns that pressure from the Biden administration could lead to changes in the law.

Such changes could have dire implications for the safety of law enforcement officers who work tirelessly to protect communities from criminals who show no regard for the law.

Having served as director of the ATF, the agency responsible for combating illegal firearm trafficking, I am aware of the importance of protecting firearm trace data.

If the Tiahrt Amendment is repealed, it could severely hinder the crucial investigations conducted by ATF special agents and local law enforcement to bring illegal firearm traffickers to justice.

The recent release of sensitive NTC tracing data by the ATF to certain entities highlights the need for strict protections.

Using firearm trace data for political purposes goes against the objective of protecting communities and upholding the law.

It is essential to preserve the Tiahrt Amendment to ensure that criminal investigations relying on firearm trace data remain safeguarded.

Any attempts to repeal laws protecting firearm trace data disregard the importance of safeguarding investigations, sources, and the lives of law enforcement officers.

Repealing the Tiahrt Amendment would be risking the lives of police officers.

The law, which limits the release of firearm trace data to assist law enforcement in investigations, enjoys support from the Fraternal Order of Police, Congress, and the Department of Justice.

All eyes in law enforcement are on the administration to ensure that investigations are protected.

Past incidents, like Mayor Bloomberg’s mishandling of firearm trace data, serve as cautionary tales of the risks associated with leveraging such sensitive information for political gain.

It is crucial to maintain strict confidentiality of firearm trace data to support ongoing investigations and ensure the safety of law enforcement officers and the public.

The Tiahrt Amendment does not hinder law enforcement’s ability to share firearm trace data within legitimate investigations; rather, it prevents the disclosure of sensitive information to protect ongoing cases and personnel.

Political interests seeking to exploit this information for their agenda only hinder the work of law enforcement and complicate their responsibilities.

Senior officials advocating for the repeal of protections on firearm trace data compromise the trust placed in law enforcement by the public.

Michael J. Sullivan is the former acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and has extensive experience in law enforcement.