Statement From Mayor Adams on Meeting With Newly Confirmed ATF Director Steven Dettlebach

July 28, 2022

In Productive Meeting, Adams Requests Doubling of ATF Agents in NYC, Enhanced Data Sharing, and Revocation of Polymer80 Firearms License 

Watch the remarks

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today met with Steven Dettlebach, the newly confirmed director of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The mayor released the following statement: 

“The ATF is on the front lines in our fight against the crisis of gun violence and, for the first time in over seven years, has a permanent director who can lead the charge. After meeting with Director Dettelbach, I am more confident than ever that he will be a partner in ending the flow of illegal guns to New York City and in taking down the violent offenders who are spilling blood in our streets. I shared with the director concrete actions the ATF can take to help with both intervention and prevention, including additional agents, better data sharing, and revoking the license of the nation’s largest supplier of ghost guns. We will be continuing the conversations in the weeks ahead.”  

In the meeting today, Mayor Adams requested the following from the ATF:

• Double the number of ATF agents stationed in New York City;
• Put in place additional data sharing between NYPD and ATF in order to collectively utilize the most updated information and adopt more coordinated strategies;
• And revoke the firearm license of Polymer80 – the nation’s largest supplier of ghost guns. Adams first called for this in May.

Watch remarks by Mayor Adams speaking about today’s meeting online.

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