NO VALID DRIVERS LICENSE/FAIL TO ID FUGITIVE

Issue #56	Date Added	Status
NO VALID DRIVERS LICENSE/FAIL TO ID FUGITIVE	Monday 27th November 2006 02:53:26 PM	Open

Description

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Currently there is a new kind of identity theft going around that can and will land you in jail, cost you money to bond out, an appearance in court, and more serious consequences to innocent citizens of this city due to a loophole in the system.

The scenario is simple; the traffic officer pulls over a suspect for a traffic violation. The suspect claims to have no identity on or about their person. Police officer requires there full name and D.O.B. to issue the citation. Then the suspect is free to go if no warrants were issued under the given name.

The problem occurs when the suspect gives the name and D.O.B. of another and validates this with the D.O.B. This information is easily available to everybody and can be gained through casual conversation. When this occurs they call the offense FAIL TO ID FUGITIVE.

There are many problems that come from this challenge. Now citizens should be urged to check with the department of public safety on a weekly basis to make sure there identity has not been stolen. If you are unaware of warrants from citations being issued to you under a false name you can not avoid arrest. In addition to being arrested you may or may not have $500 to $1000 lying around. You will also have to miss work for a court date. You will feel like a criminal because in this case you are guilty until proven innocent. You will then have another court date that involves proving your innocence. And finally you will not get your bail money back for several months, and no interest will be made on this. There are many more problems that could be listed but instead I want to get into the solution.

I have spoken to many citizens of this city and they are concerned. Many of them have conveyed decent resolutions to this problem. The following solutions can solve your challenge:

1. When no ID can be produced, an arrest can be made until they can prove who they are.
2. Detain the person until somebody can bring there ID.
3. A Photo that would pull up on the officers’ computer.
4. A finger print scanner when the ticket is signed.
5. A hard copy of finger prints when tickets are signed.

I know that some of the solutions do not seem fair or just, but neither is sitting the night in jail when you are truly innocent.

jfreedman