Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Since its inception in late 1790s, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) has undergone more changes in titles and responsibilities than any other federal agency. It was transferred to the Department of Justice under the Homeland Security Act of 2002, when “Explosives” was added to its name and mission. Despite the change, however, the bureau still uses the abbreviation “ATF.” The bureau protects communities from violent criminals, criminal organizations, illegal weapons, firearms trafficking, the illegal use and storage of explosives, arson, bombings, terrorism, and the illegal diversion of alcohol and tobacco products. The ATF's Strategic Plan—Fiscal Years 2010–2016 states, “Combating violent crime is our specialty, our niche. ATF's regulatory and enforcement missions are interwoven, providing a comprehensive approach to reducing violent crime, protecting the public, and protecting national security.”

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the ATF employs a staff of 5,000, including special agents, inspectors, auditors, and laboratory and support personnel. The ATF has four National Response Teams (NRTs), which can be deployed within 24 hours to major explosion and arson sites, as was done after bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995, and following the September 11, 2001, attacks. Created in 1978, the NRTs partner with federal, state, and local agencies to investigate and reconstruct crime scenes, identify the origin of an explosion, conduct interviews, sift through debris for evidence, and develop a plan for further actions.

Not all ATF agents are human. Since 1990, ATF's National Canine Center in Front Royal, Virginia, has trained 272 dogs for 31 states and 13 countries. These canine agents can detect over 19,000 commercially available and home-concocted chemical compounds. Dogs have worked at the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and national political conventions, and they helped secure the Pentagon after the 9/11 attacks.