Combating Gun Violence in America

The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

As the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Steven Dettelbach is charged with overseeing the federal agency charged with protecting the public by enforcing laws and regulations related to firearms, explosives, arson, and alcohol and tobacco trafficking. He was appointed to the role by President Biden in July 2022, at a critical time in the fight against violent crime in the country. In his second year as director, Dettelbach has advocated for a strategy that focuses on community partnerships, citizen education, and working with state, local, and tribal partners to find solutions that keep Americans safe and improve public safety.\r\n\r\nDirector Dettelbach, a Cleveland native, brings a wealth of experience to this position. From 2009 to 2016, Mr. Dettelbach served as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. As U.S. Attorney, he oversaw high-profile investigations and both managed and personally handled large-scale, crisis-level litigations. He also supervised a broad docket of complex affirmative and defensive civil matters. Mr. Dettelbach began his career clerking for the Hon. Stanley Sporkin, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He was also detailed as counsel to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Most recently, Mr. Dettelbach was a partner and litigation group leader at a major national law firm. Mr. Dettelbach is the recipient of numerous honors and awards for his service. Mr. Dettelbach received his J.D. from Harvard University in 1991 and his B.A. from Dartmouth College in 1988.