ATF

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Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Accountability Report — Fiscal Year 1999

Message from the Office of the Director

The men and women of ATF continue to autograph their work with excellence by building upon past successes and embracing innovations in human resources, information technology, business processes, and structure that will move the Bureau forward into the challenging new century.

As a result of our strengthened infrastructure, for the first time since 1993, we have been able to recruit, hire, and train a significant number of special agents and inspectors. Moreover, we have developed a pilot pay banding and performance management system that will allow greater flexibility to attract, hire, and retain high caliber personnel in scientific, engineering, and technical occupations. These issues were critical to ATF in accomplishing our varied mission of reducing violent crime, collecting the revenue, and protecting the public.

We also have effectively used our new information technology structure to implement enhanced case management tools for special agents and inspectors as well as a centralized financial management framework. This structure has also served to expand our ability to link and analyze crime gun information from ATF’s National Tracing Center databases, and to develop additional criminal referrals for use by ATF employees and other State and Federal law enforcement agencies. ATF’s National Revenue Center has applied technology to finalize procedures for implementation of the provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1997 that take effect on January 1, 2000. At the same time, we have prepared our information systems for Y2K readiness and developed plans to ensure that there will be no interruption in the Bureau’s ability to serve the American public as we enter the new year.

ATF has also made great strides in fulfilling our vision of building physical structures that better accommodate our increased responsibilities in carrying out Federal laws governing alcohol, tobacco, firearms, explosives, and arson. Construction was substantially completed on ATF’s canine facility in Front Royal, Virginia, where up to 100 explosives and accelerant detecting canines will be trained each year for the use of local, State, Federal, and international agencies. In collaboration with the scientific, academic, and investigative communities, we have designed a world class National Laboratory and Fire Research Center and moved much closer to construction in Beltsville, Maryland. Additionally, we have received initial funding for a proposed site in the Nation’s capital for a permanent and more secure ATF Headquarters facility. Arrangements have also been made to relocate ATF’s National Tracing Center to a larger facility in Martinsburg, West Virginia, to accommodate ATF’s growing role in supporting other law enforcement agencies in fighting violent crime.

The many successes detailed in the following pages are guided by the principles and spirit of ATF’s strategic plan. Other Treasury and non-Treasury agencies have used that plan as a benchmark for their effective alignment of performance goals with program activities. For the past five years, independent audits, conducted first by the Department of the Treasury and then by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, have produced the highest possible rating on the soundness of ATF’s financial systems and its management of resources. The evaluation of our management systems and controls for FY 1999, required by the Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act of 1982, as in prior years, demonstrates compliance with that Act. And again, the evaluation disclosed no material non-conformances with ATF’s programs or administrative activities or with government- wide requirements in ATF’s financial management systems. The Bureau is also in compliance with the requirements of the Federal Financial Management Improvement Act of 1996 reflecting that ATF has implemented and maintained financial systems that comply with Federal financial management systems requirements, applicable Federal accounting standards, and the United States Government Standard General Ledger at the transaction level.

The expert and experienced public servants who comprise the ATF team provide outstanding service to the citizens of this Nation. Their knowledge in very controversial and complex jurisdictions is unmatched in all but their dedication and talent.

John W. Magaw

Cover of ATF’s 1999 Accountability Report