The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives is focused on fighting federal crime related to guns, booze, tobacco and explosives, as well as those involving potential arson. When it comes to recovering illegal firearms, Indianapolis keeps local ATF agents busy getting illegal weapons off the streets– seizing 2,820 in 2013 alone. Other prominent firearms seizures were made in Fort Wayne, South Bend, and Gary, with the ATF confiscating 379, 305, and 289 firearms in those cities, respectively.
ATF Agents also participate in a number of local task forces throughout the state, which bring justice to major criminal organizations that often commit firearm violations while carrying out their illegal activities. The ATF maintains coverage throughout Indiana with field offices in:
- Evansville at 101 North West Martin Luther King Drive
- Fort Wayne at 919 South Harrison Street
- Merrillville at 8420 Indiana Street
- Indianapolis at 151 North Delaware Street
Learning about how to become an ATF Agent in Indiana will help prepare candidates to make a successful bid for employment.
Qualifying for ATF Jobs
There are two basic sets of requirements for ATF careers – basic clearance requirements and education requirements. These first initial qualifiers include:
- Being a US citizen who is able to obtain a top secret clearance
- Being between the ages of 21-36, with exceptions for veterans and federal police
- Having a driver’s license
The education requirement mandates having a bachelor’s degree in any field, or substituting for this with either three years of experience in the fields of law enforcement, or a combination of both education and experience.
Having a good academic record will qualify applicants to enter the ATF at a higher rank and pay if the bachelor’s degree in any of these specified subjects:
- Political Science
- Criminal Justice
- Crime Scene Investigation
- Forensic Science
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Police Science
Application and Training for ATF Careers
The application for ATF careers in Indiana and across the nation can be found on the USA Jobs website, and if there are no current vacancies candidates can sign up to be notified when ATF jobs become open up. The following must also be submitted along with the application:
- ATF Special Agent Application Questionnaire
- ATF Special Agent Applicant Assessment Test
- ATF Special Agent Exam
- ATF Pre-Employment Physical Task Test
Training begins with a 12-week Criminal Investigators Training Program, followed by Special Agent Basic Training which lasts 15 weeks. During their training, new ATF Agents will learn about:
- Driving techniques
- Firearms
- Apprehension and arrest techniques
- Federal courtroom procedures
- Conducting undercover operations
- Field operations
- Report writing
ATF Makes Recent Gang Busts in Indiana
A recent case exemplifies the activities of ATF Agents in Indiana, involving a lengthy investigation into the Latin Kings gang. Founded in Chicago, the Latin Kings has now become a nationwide gang which the ATF keeps in check. As part of this most recent operation, ATF agents working with around a dozen other national and local law enforcement organizations were able to gather enough evidence to secure convictions against three gang members on charges including:
- Racketeering conspiracy
- Conspiracy to possess and distribute five or more kilos of cocaine
- Conspiracy to possess and distribute 1,000 or more kilos of marijuana
- Murder in the aid of racketeering
- Murder with the use of a firearm