The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has spent $10 million on guns, ammunition, and other tactical gear since 2020, according to a report by watchdog group OpenTheBooks.com.
The report also revealed that 102 other agencies outside the Department of Defense invested $3.7 billion since 2006 on weapons, ammunition, and military-style equipment. The IRS and 76 of the 102 agencies are rank-and-file regulatory agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Social Security Administration, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services.
OpenTheBooks.com noted that there are now more federal agents with arrest and firearm authority (200,000) than U.S. Marines (186,000). The IRS has purchased $35.2 million worth of guns, ammunition, and other tactical gear for its special agents since 2006. The agency ramped up its weapon purchases in 2020 and 2021, spending $10 million since the beginning of the COVID lockdowns.
The watchdog groups report revealed a breakdown of the agencys recent purchases, which showed that since 2020 the IRS spent $2.3 million on duty ammunition, $1.2 million on ballistic shields, $474,000 on Smith & Wesson rifles, $467,000 on tactical lighting, $463,000 on Baretta shotguns, $354,000 on tactical gear bags, $267,000 on ballistic helmets, and $243,000 on body armor vests. The agency also spent $1.3 million on unidentified purchases labeled only various other gear for criminal investigation agents.
The IRS already had 4,500 firearms, including shotguns, rifles, and submachine guns, and 5 million rounds of ammunition in its gun locker before kicking off the 2020 spending spree that significantly bulked up its arsenal. President Bidens Inflation Reduction Act, signed in August, provided the IRS with over $80 billion in additional funding, which the agency plans to use to hire more than 86,000 employees within the next decade.
Last year, the IRS created a job posting seeking Criminal Investigation Special Agents that would be required to carry a firearm and be willing to use deadly force, if necessary. With 2,100 special agents, the IRS is the top 50 largest police departments in the nation.
An IRS spokesperson told OpenTheBooks.com that [Criminal investigation] special agents have been using weapons throughout their history as they have consistently found themselves investigating the most dangerous criminals involved in organized crime, drugs and gangs.
These cases are typically worked with other state and federal law enforcement agencies. Firearms and equipment are also used for training purposes. Special agents must train and qualify for their weapons and participate in quarterly trainings to maintain proficiency.
The watchdog report also revealed that Health and Human Services had spent $154 million since 2006 on weapons, ammunition, and military-style equipment. Before 2020, the agency had 8 million rounds of ammunition and 461 special agents.
Additionally, the Office of Inspector General possessed 1,300 guns. The HHS told OpenTheBooks.com that it needed the equipment for agents who participate in undercover work and provide assistance to law enforcement.
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