DoJ Inspector General Report on NFRTR Accuracy

[Bubbles]

DoJ Report I-2007-006

Interesting reading. Some excerpts:

RESULTS IN BRIEF

We found that since 2004, the NFA Branch has improved significantly the timeliness of both processing NFA weapons applications and responding to customer inquiries. However, continuing management and technical deficiencies contribute to inaccuracies in the NFRTR database. For example, NFA Branch staff do not process applications or enter data into the NFRTR in a consistent manner, which leads to errors in records and inconsistent decisions on NFA weapons applications. In addition, the NFA Branch has a backlog of record discrepancies between the NFRTR and inventories of federal firearms licensees that were identified during ATF compliance inspections. Further, the NFRTR’s software programming is flawed and causes technical problems for those working in the database. The lack of consistency in procedures and the backlog in reconciling discrepancies, combined with the technical issues, result in errors in the records, reports, and queries produced from the NFRTR. These errors affect the NFRTR’s reliability as a regulatory tool when it is used during compliance inspections of federal firearms licensees. However, we did not find evidence that individual weapons owners or federal firearms licensees had been sanctioned or criminally prosecuted because of errors in the database, as asserted in the citizens’ letters.

The following excerpt is quite ironic given that state abbreviations can not be used on 4473's, and will result in the FFL getting a "paperwork violation":

NFA Branch staff stated that they did not have adequate written direction on how to enter data such as abbreviations in the NFRTR, how to maintain application files, how often to contact applicants with pending applications, the proper method for fixing or working around NFRTR technical flaws, and who has responsibility for correcting errors in NFRTR records. Therefore, staff members relied on each other or on managers to verbally explain what they believed were the procedures for processing applications and navigating the NFRTR database.

 

[Chipperman]

Does anyone else get a mental ijmage of the Three Stooges when reading this?

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Just like pretty much every other system of centralized firearm registration - within a very short period of time the records don't match reality at all.

 

[Logan5]

Wait, low paid cubicle monkeys don't magically do data entry any better just because they're government cubicle monkeys?

By that logic, then the TSA would be... oh.

 

[230RN]

Chipperman observed:

Does anyone else get a mental image of the Three Stooges when reading this?

No. My image was of a noodleheaded Stan Laurel and a pompous overbearing Oliver Hardy.

But your image works just as well.

 

[Bubbles]

Just a thought, but how much do you want to bet that the reason no one has been prosecuted for NFRTR inaccuracies is because after receiving a "turn in your illegal machine gun" letter people turn in the gun versus fight for it, potentially spending tens of thousands of dollars and risking jail time if they lose.