Report: BMV lacks the means to streamline services

Following a look into the Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the Palacios-Apatang administration’s transition team determined that the BMV lacks the necessary equipment needed to streamline its services to the community.

According to the DPS transition team’s report submitted to the transition committee last week, BMV lacks the pertinent standard equipment to streamline the process of acquiring the registration of vehicles/vessels/heavy equipment, licensing, and records, as well as an inadequate server room. Only one scanner-printer was effectively networked. All other scanner-printers were not networked, and therefore ineffective. The collection and preservation of data was saved to the hard drives at each station and none of the data is moved to a central data point for digital preservation. The server room is functional. The security cameras in the BMV registration area are working. The server room has a variety of disconnected cables and storage items. The server room is separated from the DPS main building’s server. Work is still conducted manually,” said the report.

In addition, the transition team found that the BMV’s Real ID does not work in certain areas of the United States as it isn’t connected to the federal government’s information center.

The Real ID was essentially promoted by the bureau as a travel document similar to a passport when travelling within the United States; it is supposed to be linked to federal servers that allows TSA to access vital information like criminal history.

“The ‘REAL ID’ licenses being issued do work in certain areas and do not work in others. The CNMI is not networked with the federal government’s National Crime Information Center,” said the report.

Also, the transition team found that the BMV’s firearms and records section’s processing of records is conducted manually.

“Both of their digital fingerprinting machines are broken and are utilizing an ink and paper fingerprinting process, which is more time-consuming. A record search for an individual’s license is conducted manually. The file folders are located on a library-style rolling cabinet system,” the report stated.

The transition team recommended that the new administration have the BMV work with the IT Department and the CNMI Department of Homeland Security in creating a data network system that is accessible to all relevant parties.

“Patrol officers are unable to run license plates due to systems failures and either complacency or incompetency in inter-departmental communication and interaction. BMV must create or procure a practical software solution for records that gives officers real-time information and a statewide integrated traffic records system,” the report said.

“The officers in [BMV] must maintain the same level of professionalism and training as a patrol officer within their specific field. Officers at BMV must receive training and certifications in Microsoft Office, printer usage, office networking, and any related software and tasks. Each officer must also have a clear working knowledge of all components of their work environment, to include surveillance cameras, electronic data storage areas, electricity backup and breaker boxes, and who are the armed officers present and on location for security. Training should bring awareness and awareness should create solutions,” the report added.