ATF Speech

 

Remarks by Carl J. Truscott
Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
VCIT News Conference
Columbus, Ohio
April 1, 2005



Note: This is the text as prepared for delivery. The Director sometimes deviates from prepared remarks.

Thank you very much, Deputy Attorney General Comey, U.S. Attorney Lockhart, Mayor Coleman, Chief Jackson, and Deputy Chief Gammill. Thank you for welcoming us to your city, and thank you for the friendship and great working relationship that our agencies share.

I appreciate the Attorney General Gonzales and Department of Justice's continued support of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. And I appreciate your confidence in our ability to lead this effort.

As you've heard, VCIT is a law enforcement strategy to identify, arrest and prosecute the
"worst of the worst" violent criminals in 20 cities with a high volume of firearms crime. In Columbus, we've had real success.

Since we launched VCIT last June, our teams have made 3,284 arrests nationwide, including 538 from our "worst of the worst" list of criminals. We've recovered 3,763 firearms in the 20 VCIT cities, and seized more than 2.1 million dollars.

As of March 21, VCIT members in Columbus arrested 465 individuals allegedly involved in criminal incidents. And we've recovered 443 firearms. That means 443 firearms out of the hands of criminals and no longer a threat to your community.

ATF is pleased to be working with all of you to help make our neighborhoods safer. Less than a year ago, ATF special agents worked with the Columbus Division of Police to identify high-crime areas in the city.

The VCIT strategy began to develop as we worked with the Columbus West Side Zone 3 Patrol, Police Strategic Response Bureau, the Robbery Squad and other units. The Ohio Adult Parole Authority joined the team, as did the U.S. Marshals Service, the Franklin County Sheriff and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation. Our good friends, U.S. Attorney Gregory Lockhart and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien and their offices, formed the prosecution team and with that our Violent Crime Impact Team was in place.

Let me share some of the stories of our success here in Columbus.

Everyone in Columbus knows about the spate of 10 armed robberies of banks, check-cashing businesses and credit unions that have occurred since 2002, including several that took place after we launched VCIT last June.
In each robbery an employee was abducted from his or her residence and forced to accompany the robbers to the business. The total loss from these robberies was 838,000 dollars.

ATF and the Columbus Robbery Squad have been jointly investigating those robberies, which involved the overnight abduction of employees of banks, check cashing businesses and credit unions, and have netted the suspects nearly one million dollars. This is a great example of VCIT partners working together in a focused manner to make the community safe.

Last December, a Federal Grand Jury returned a superseding indictment charging four individuals with conspiracy, firearms charges, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and robberies of a bank, two credit unions and three check-cashing businesses between March 2002 and July 2004. All four subjects were arrested.

Our VCIT teams are also using a variety of tactics to get illegal firearms out of the hands of violent criminals. While one part of the team applied its tactics in public, another part went undercover. An ATF undercover agent, covered by other team members, bought guns and drugs from some of the most violent offenders in these neighborhoods; many of these offenders face possible sentences of up to life in prison for their crimes.

Many things were being accomplished simultaneously:

  • Columbus Police Strategic Response Bureau used directed patrol and other tactics in the affected neighborhoods.
  • The Ohio Adult Parole Authority participated in sweeps for parole violators.
  • The VCIT team conducted warrant sweeps and served search warrants, the very definition of teamwork.

Under the leadership of Gregg Lockhart, prosecutors began preparing the cases for indictment. The U.S. Attorney's office sought and received the indictment of more than 70 people for a variety of federal firearms and drug charges based on the work of the ATF undercover agent and our VCIT partners.

While I speak, Columbus Police Officers, ATF special agents and their law enforcement partners in the Columbus area, are searching for and arresting more than 70 hardened criminals from your community. Our search teams will be working through the night and weekend, and for the days and weeks to come, until every suspect is in custody.

Putting away offenders responsible for the violence in Columbus is bringing security and safety back to your city. That's our goal. In partnership with other Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies, the dedicated men and women of ATF will continue to work in cities like Columbus. We're determined to help reduce violent firearms crime, and to help you reclaim the places where you work and live.

Thank you.

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