Jim Kouri
November 13, 2005
Theft of explosives may threaten Homeland Security
By Jim Kouri

More than 5.5 billion pounds of explosives are used each year in the United States by private sector companies and government entities. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has the federal authority to regulate explosives and to license privately owned explosives storage facilities.

After a July 2004 theft of several hundred pounds of explosives from a state and local government storage facility, concerns arose about vulnerability to theft.

Judging from available ATF data, there have been few thefts of explosives from state and local government storage facilities. From January 2002 to February 2005, the ATF received only 9 reports of thefts or missing explosives from state and local facilities, compared with a total of 205 explosives thefts reported nationwide during this same period.

During the course of a General Accounting Office audit, auditors found evidence of 5 thefts from state and local government facilities, 1 of which did not appear in ATF's national database on thefts and missing explosives. Thus, the actual number of thefts occurring at state and local storage facilities could be higher than that identified by ATF data.

The ATF has no authority to oversee or inspect all state and local government explosives storage facilities. State and local government agencies are not required to obtain a license from ATF to use and store explosives, and only licensees — such as private sector explosives storage facilities — are subject to mandatory oversight. As a result, ATF has no means to ensure that state and local government facilities are in compliance with federal regulations.

While ATF does not collect nationwide information about state and local government explosives storage facilities, information about some of these facilities is collected — for example, when facility operators voluntarily request an ATF inspection. Since January 2002, ATF has conducted 77 voluntary inspections at state and local storage facilities and found no systemic violations.

By comparison, all licensed private sector facilities must submit a variety of information about their facility — including location and security measures in place — to ATF during the licensing process. ATF also collects information about these facilities during mandatory inspections. At the 18 state and local government storage facilities we visited, a variety of security measures were in place, including locked gates, fencing, patrols, and in some cases, electronic surveillance.

All the facilities' officials told GAO auditors that they conducted routine inventories. But most were not required to be licensed or inspected by state or local regulatory agencies. The auditors identified several instances of possible noncompliance with federal regulations, related primarily to storage safety issues rather than security.

Sources: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, US Department of Justice, US General Accounting Office, National Association of Chiefs of Police Arson & Explosion Committee

© Jim Kouri

 

The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)


Jim Kouri

Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police... (more)

Subscribe

Receive future articles by Jim Kouri: Click here

Latest articles

May 3, 2016
New book by rising star provides political action plan for millennial voters


April 15, 2016
CIA chief more concerned with Obamaism than protecting Americans: Critics


April 13, 2016
State Dept. finally turns over Huma Abedin/Susan Rice Benghazi files


April 4, 2016
Federal judge allows watchdog group access to Clinton email


March 23, 2016
ISIS hackers post 'hit list' of Minnesota cops


March 15, 2016
World leaders want Hillary: best president money can buy


March 9, 2016
Iran's Ayatollah: Under Obama U.S. lacks the might it once had


February 3, 2016
Political cover up at State Dept. to benefit Hillary Clinton during primaries


January 26, 2016
ISIS builds stronghold in Libya: Obama and Hillary ignore their handiwork


January 24, 2016
Hillary Clinton's email fiasco worse than originally suspected


More articles

 

Alan Keyes
Why de facto government (tyranny) is replacing the Constitution (Apr. 2015)

Stephen Stone
Will Obama be impeached now that Republicans control both houses of Congress? (Nov. 2014)

Alan Keyes
In battle for liberty, lying is the 'WMD'

Cliff Kincaid
Does Hillary hate white people?

Larry Klayman
Hillary's email cover-up compromised judges and DOJ

Rev. Mark H. Creech
The lioness of persecution

Jim Terry
The irrelevant news media--Part I

J. Matt Barber
The entire 'LGBT' narrative just crumbled

Michael Bresciani
Hillary dips to new low, labels Trump and millions of Americans -- racists and Nazis

Rev. Austin Miles
Six week old baby murdered by her father

Michael Gaynor
Will Kellyanne Conway and Laura Ingraham enable Donald Trump to make America great again?

William Wagner
The necessity of appointing a Special Counsel

Bryan Fischer
God has not called us to be nice

Lloyd Marcus
The left's war on American dreamers
  More columns

Cartoons


Michael Ramirez
More cartoons

RSS feeds

News:
Columns:

Columnists

Matt C. Abbott
Chris Adamo
Russ J. Alan
Bonnie Alba
Jamie Freeze Baird
Chuck Baldwin
Kevin J. Banet
J. Matt Barber
. . .
[See more]

Sister sites