The head of the ATF’s office in Los Angeles has sent a memo to Southern California police chiefs and sheriffs saying the agency has found law enforcement officers buying and reselling guns in what could be a violation of federal firearms laws, reports the Los Angeles Times. The memo from special agent Eric Harden describes the finding as an “emerging problem” and expresses concern about “the growing trend of law enforcement officials engaging in the business of unlicensed firearms dealing.”
He did not say how many officers the agency has found purchasing and reselling weapons, but the memo — dated March 31 — says some officers had bought more than 100 firearms. Some of the guns have been recovered at crime scenes. But Harden wrote that the goal is “to educate, not investigate, to ensure law enforcement officials comply with federal law in order to avoid unnecessary public embarrassment to themselves and your department/agency.”