Detroit Field Division

The Detroit city skyline Photo used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 Generic license from Wikipedia user Shawn Wilson

Welcome to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Detroit, Michigan. Our Division has the responsibility of enforcing the Federal laws and regulations that fall under ATF jurisdiction throughout the State of Michigan.

ATF is committed to protecting the public and reducing violent crime in neighborhoods across Michigan, and we do so by working in teams that focus on different aspects of the Division’s mission. Individual cases may originate within one team, but a spirit of collaboration within our Division and with our international, Federal, State, and local partners is often key to successful investigations.

Detroit Field Division special agents combat firearms violence by focusing their investigative efforts on armed violent offenders, career criminals, gun traffickers, and gangs. We also work in partnership with international, Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies in Michigan, the rest of the United States, and Canada to accomplish this mission.

Explosives and arson enforcement is an integral part of ATF’s overall violent crime reduction strategy, and the Division is home to certified explosives specialists, certified fire investigators, a K-9 arson detection unit, and a K-9 explosives detection unit. Detroit Field Division special agents combat arson, explosives, and tobacco-related crimes by conducting independent investigations and by working in partnership with State and local fire investigators, bomb squads, and tobacco units.

ATF also enforces the Federal laws and regulations governing the firearms and explosives commercial retail industries. Detroit Field Division industry operations investigators (IOI) serve as the frontline in achieving this essential mission in Michigan. Division IOIs work with private industry and our law enforcement partners to ensure that all firearms and explosives are stored, handled, and sold in a safe manner and according to law.

We encourage all Michigan residents to become our partners also, by assisting us in our goal of safeguarding our communities. If you have information regarding violent criminal activity in our State, do not hesitate to contact ATF at (313) 202-3400.

Thomas E. Brandon


Division Management Team

Thomas E. Brandon
Special Agent In Charge (SAC)
William A. Temple
Assistant Special Agent In Charge (ASAC)
S. Robin Shoemaker
Assistant Special Agent In Charge (ASAC)
Curtis W. Gilbert
Director of Industry Operations (DIO)
Donald Dawkins
Public Information Officer (PIO)

Division Contact Information

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
1155 Brewery Park Boulevard, Suite 300
Detroit, Michigan 48207 USA
Voice (313) 202-3400
Fax (313) 202-3445

ATF Offers $5,000 Reward in Gun Store Burglary

July 15, 2010

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Thomas E. Brandon of the Detroit Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), today announced a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the burglary of Flanary’s Performance Center & Guns, a federally licensed firearms (FFL) dealer, located at 153 Merriman Rd., Garden City, Michigan. More »

Police Encourage Safety First This Fourth of July

July 2, 2010

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Michigan State Police (MSP) are encouraging citizens to be safe with fireworks this Fourth of July. Illegal or improperly used fireworks can cause severe injuries or death. More »

Law Enforcement Partners Step Up Efforts to Reduce Violent Crime

July 1, 2010

That is the sentiment of local law enforcement leaders as the city of Detroit crosses into the second half of 2010 with a 25% reduction in homicides and a 20% reduction in non-fatal shootings compared to the same point last year. So they are upping the ante. More »

Federal Arrest Warrant and Search Warrant Served in Firearms Theft Case

February 23, 2010

Special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and detectives from the Saginaw County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) on February 22, 2010, arrested an individual identified as Joshua BRUFF of Owosso, Mich, for alleged violations of federal firearms laws. More »

Detroit Press Release Archive