Obama ATF Seeks “Massive” Database Of Personal Information

by Tim Brown

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) recently solicited for a “massive online data repository system” capable of accessing personal information, including relatives, connections and associates.

The request was submitted on March 28, 2013 at FedBizOpps.gov. It was later updated on April 5, 2013.

In providing background for the request, the ATF says that the Office of Strategic Intelligence and Information (OSII) “provides critical law enforcement resources in support of reducing violent crime and protecting the public. Staffed by a number of dedicated law-enforcement intelligence analysts, support professionals, and officials, the mission of OSII has always been to provide timely, accurate and focused intelligence through the collection and analysis of information of enhance decision-making Bureau-wide.”

The overview of the solicitation says that ATF has a vision to embrace and use leading-edge technology where appropriate. “OSII utilizes a number of internal databases as well as external sources to provide timely and relevant information and intelligence products to law enforcement agencies at the federal, state and local levels. Many of these tasks are performed manually, resulting in longer turnaround times on important information and intelligence research and analysis requests.”

According to the documents outlining the request, the “massive online data repository system that contains a wide variety of data sources both historically and current that can be utilized in support of investigations and backgrounds through the use of automated external systems containing public records and non-public/proprietary information that provides a means to rapidly check records across the country is necessary in assisting investigators, agents and analyst to find people, their assets, relatives, associates and more.”

Additionally, it will be “comprised of public and proprietary records that contains a variety of data sources” which will be utilized by “Intelligence Analyst, Special Agents, Inspectors, Financial Investigators and Law Enforcement support staff” in order to “provide rapid searches on various entities for example; names, telephone numbers, utility data and reverse phone look-ups, as a means to assist with investigations, and background research on people, assets and businesses.”

This system will also allow ATF to “obtain exact matches from partial source data searches such as, incomplete social security numbers, address, VIN numbers, etc.” It will also have the ability to “obtain exact matches from partial source data searches such as, incomplete social security numbers, address, VIN numbers, etc.”

First, as our own Publius Huldah has pointed out, any type of Federal laws or entities to restrict firearms, like the ATF, are unconstitutional. Second, what are we not being told about concerning this database. Already, we’ve been warned about background checks being expanded and a possible national gun registry. This would seem appropriate for this as well. This seems like this will be nothing more than to gain as much information on the public as possible.