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Staff and Wire reports
Indianapolis, March 12, 2004 - New Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles commissioner Mary DePrez says there has been a mass exodus of BMV employees in recent weeks. DePrez did not apologize for what she called a mass exiting at BMV. In fact she says it's needed.
DePrez says many may have resigned because they knew she would be making changes to tighten BMV security and improve customer service.
She says the BMV is spending nearly $500,000 on new security procedures.
An Eyewitness News investigation of the BMV found ten percent of BMV workers in Marion County had criminal histories. This just weeks after a former BMV worker was set to go on trial for alleged corruption.
One employee was fired as a result of the report. Friday, the new commissioner talked about the changes the BMV will enact from within to help deal with that. "Our policy had been to do limited background checks," she said Friday. "I believe that was not good enough for our purposes...The (new) policy will be that the individual will have to go get the complete criminal background check and bring it to us. I don't think it can be released to a potential employer."
DePrez also announced a proposal for more extensive criminal background checks on new and current employees. She says a pilot program will begin this month in Marion County to put uniform police officers in every license branch.
DePrez says people submitting immigration documents will be issued a temporary driver's license for 60 days while the BMV verifies the validity of the documents.
DePrez, who took over March 1 after former commissioner Gerald Coleman resigned, said employees may have been resigning because they knew she was going to make significant changes.
"It was a reflection that people realized we needed a new face at the BMV. It has been a house-cleaning, and it was needed," she said.
Four BMV workers are among 27 people who have been charged since late last year in connection with what prosecutors said was a scam using bogus visas, passports and other immigration documents to acquire Indiana licenses.
Gov. Joe Kernan previously announced other BMV changes, including doubling the number of internal auditors, hiring a new security director and adding another check on documents from foreign nationals.
But being an election year that it is, Kernan's challengers have stepped forward with their own ideas for change.
Eric Miller, who's running for governor, wants new car dealerships to provide titles, registrations and license plates on the spot.
Mitch Daniels, Miller's GOP opponent in the primary, wants to shorten lines, improve customer service and save tax dollars by cutting back on the number of transactions.
