Col. Tommy Davis of DPS told the House Appropriations Criminal Justice Subcommittee today that no one from the Governor's office had spoken to him before issuing their proposal to move the driver license division from his agency to the Department of Transportation. Davis said DPS had been the custodian of Texas driver license records since the state began issuing licenses in 1935.
Turner asked if there is a good reason for uniformed officers to participate in DPS' driver licenses function. Davis said he disagrees with the Governor's proposal and said that driver licenses are a law enforcement function. He says many people are arrested on warrants when they come in to get their license renewed, so officers need to be there, plus they add an additional layer of security.
Steve McCraw, the Governor's homeland security director, said his office had come up with the idea "in house" in consultation with the Governor without speaking with DPS, but that it was "just a recommendation." He said the Governor directed him to act "like the bomb is going to go off next week," so he thought this should happen immediately. Chairman Turner, though, said he thought it "didn't feel like"a good idea to remove commissioned officers from driver license offices.
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I recall a visit to the DPS office in Beaumont, where I appeared to renew my Class A CDL. The clerk informed me that I had to comply with instructions in a letter (what letter?) which required that I produce my original birth certificate and marriage license in order to renew. When I protested that I had received no letter, and didn't walk around with such documents on a daily basis...the clerk signaled her supervisor (a uniformed DPS officer). This gentleman took me to an office in the back, and threatened me with arrest and suspension of my license. When it became apparent that this man was an adrenaline junkie that was determined to provoke me into an incident, I had to silence myself until Rambo could calm down. This officer finally let me go, but not before he loudly made it apparent to everyone else in the office that I was a problem.
After all, there is nothing so dangerous in this world as an overweight, obviously American, 44-year old female with no record of traffic infractions. Rambo was giving off waves of frustration that day...no doubt unhappy at being on desk duty...and I wonder how long it was before he made the opportunity to handcuff someone right there in the driver's license office.
I say reorganize!
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