ATF’s gun store theft alert system gets digital upgrade

By Christen Smith

The federal government’s automated alert system for warning gun dealers about local thefts got an upgrade this month, according to a report from The Trace.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will now email federal firearms licensees about reported break-ins. The email text will be a carbon copy of the automated voice recording used to dial gun retailers and share the information.
“It’s nothing the law requires, but it’s a service we provide,” said Andy Graham, a deputy assistant director for field operations with the ATF who supervises the notification program, told the Trace Wednesday. “We want people to be diligent in securing their premises and inventory.”
The ATF launched the “fflAlert” system in January after gun store burglaries increased 30 percent in 2016. Nearly 7,500 guns disappeared onto the black market last year, a 59 percent increase over 2015.
Every time a gun dealer reports a theft, the alert system sends out an automated phone call to nearby stores detailing the incident, how the suspects gained entry and urges dealers to “ensure the security of both your inventory and property,” according to The Trace.
But of the 60,000 registered gun dealers nationwide, only a fraction report ever receiving the calls.
The ATF chocked

Source: Guns.com