Because of its location near a major population center, proximity to the international border, and status as an important maritime and air point of entry, Connecticut-based ATF Agents are busy keeping firearms and explosives out of the hands of criminals. To better serve the residents of the state, the ATF maintains office locations in Hartford and New Haven. From these locations, agents were able to recover and trace a total of 1,284 weapons, including 13 machine guns, 265 rifles, and 859 handguns last year alone. The majority of these weapons were recovered from:
- Hartford – 271
- Greenwich – 164
- Bridgeport – 145
- Brookfield – 107
- New Haven – 82
Joining the Ranks of the ATF
The minimum eligibility requirements for ATF jobs include:
- US citizenship and a valid state driver’s license
- Be height and weight proportional
- Have the ability to obtain a top secret security clearance
- Be between the ages of 21-36 with exceptions for eligible veterans and federal police
- Bachelor’s degree in any subject, which may be substituted for either:
- Three years of progressively increasing experience in a field dealing with law enforcement and criminal investigation
- A combination of education and experience
Candidates who have a bachelor degree with an academic distinction in one of the following subjects may also qualify to enter at a higher pay grade:
- Criminal Justice
- Crime Scene Investigation
- Law Enforcement
- Psychology
- Forensic Science
- Sociology
- Political Science
ATF Application and Training Process
From the time of submitting an initial application, to receiving orders their first assignment, prospective agents will need to have the endurance to make it through a hiring and training process that takes months. Along with an application submitted through the federal USA Jobs website for open ATF Special Agent jobs in Connecticut, applicants will also need to complete:
- ATF Special Agent Application Questionnaire
- ATF Special Agent Exam
- ATF Special Agent Applicant Assessment Test
- ATF Pre-Employment Physical Task Test
If there are no current vacancies candidates, may sign up to be notified of available ATF jobs in Connecticut by email.
Once an applicant has been selected for hire, he or she will then be slated to begin special ATF training. This takes place in two phases over the course of 27 weeks and includes:
- Criminal Investigators Training Program
- Special Agent Basic Training
- Firearms and ammunition identification
- Explosive and fire investigations
- Close quarter countermeasures
- Undercover operations
ATF Operations in Connecticut
Fresh from over half a year of in-depth training, new ATF Agents who receive a Connecticut assignment will find themselves amidst a range of different operations. Some recent cases have made headlines:
- An ATF investigation in New Haven recently recovered three stolen firearms – a .308 semi-automatic rifle and two 12-gauge shotguns – with the assistance of a cooperator, from a closely monitored deal that went down in a popular restaurant’s parking lot.
- ATF Agents were called to a Greenwich man’s house by local police officers after they responded to a report of shots fired. Although the man initially denied possessing any firearms, officers became suspicious and upon investigation discovered more than 160 firearms, 10 of which were illegal fully automatic machine guns.