By vincent todaro
Staff Writer
EAST BRUNSWICK — Though there are problems being reported statewide with the Division of Motor Vehicles, statistics have shown that the township’s branch may have the most problems.
But the Route 18 location’s new head agent, Freehold resident Jay Weiner, said that is being turned around.
Weiner, known for running a clean operation at the Freehold Township DMV in recent years, was asked to take the position by Diane Legreide, who was recently named executive director of the state DMV by Gov. James McGreevey. In Freehold Township, Weiner earned a reputation as a no-nonsense taskmaster.
In East Brunswick, however, many problems have been reported, and among them is the great number of people who have been able to obtain New Jersey driver’s licenses and registrations with false documentation. In addition, there have also been long lines and waits for customers, outdated computer equipment, under-trained workers, and what Weiner said are still some "bad apple" workers.
Weiner, who took the position in late December, said there has been a criminal underground making a living by obtaining documents at the DMV station.
He said that driver’s licenses have been obtained illegally at the DMV by a variety of people, including those who are in the country illegally, people who have had their licenses revoked or suspended, and others who want false ID in order to steal someone else’s identity.
Perhaps the most troublesome aspect of licenses being obtained fraudulently is that they could be used by terrorists.
Weiner stressed though that published reports stating that two of the Sept. 11 hijackers obtained New Jersey driver’s licenses there are false.
He said he is personally on the lookout at the East Brunswick DMV for people using false documentation.
"As for security, I stand there," he said. "I make them (potential criminals) aware of the fact that I’m around and watching what they’re doing."
"You’re vigilant, though you can’t profile people," he said.
But crimes that have nothing to do with terrorism have been a much bigger problem for the DMV. One of the more usual incidents involves a criminal getting a driver’s license in someone else’s name, then stealing that person’s identity — often to the tune of thousands of dollars. The criminal uses that identification to open a savings account at a bank and make use of the bank’s credit card offers, charging purchases to the victim.
Another scenario has involved someone changing the address on the victim’s driver’s license. The criminal then takes out credit in the victim’s name, but all of the bills go to the new address so the victim never knows they are accruing debt.
Weiner, who said at least 250 arrests were made while he was in Freehold Township, noted that people have already been nabbed at the East Brunswick DMV since he arrived.
"In Freehold, I arrested five to seven people a week when I got there," he said. "Then it subsided as people got word."
Weiner said he expects many more people to be arrested in East Brunswick before word really gets out that the opportunities are no longer there.
"The word will spread to that particular community by word of mouth," he said. "Do people slip through the cracks? Absolutely. But we’re making that crack minute."
He attributes the documentation fiasco, in part, to under-trained workers.
"Unfortunately, most of the documents that got out of here were because a lot of new workers didn’t know what they were looking at (in terms of false documents used to get licenses), or looking for."
He said those workers are being trained to look for various signs that a person may be trying to obtain a driver’s license or registration illegally.
Another problem has been the computer system, which Weiner calls "archaic." He said the agency has been living in "the Stone Age."
For example, he said if someone comes in with a request for documentation, the computers should know if there is a warrant for that person’s arrest. However, current computers do not.
Also, the system should digitally store photographs of people who have obtained licenses and registrations, something the current system also cannot do.
That would enable police looking for crime suspects to use the DMV as a form of intelligence that provides pictures of suspects. Weiner said that, currently, the only pictures of people who have obtained DMV documents are on the actual driver’s licenses.
"Going by the state police statistics, it was a horrendous problem," he said. A state police report concluded that, out of 800 phony documents obtained during the recent two-year period, 722 of them came from the East Brunswick location. The state has more than 40 DMV locations.
Weiner said he also has a mandate to speed up the process by which people can obtain licenses and registrations.
"We’ll be speeding up the process to get customers in and out," he said. "That will alleviate the crush and alleviate pressure. There’s a tremendous amount of pressure on workers."
Weiner, who brought with him from Freehold Township head clerk Virginia Lisay and assistant clerk Farrah Hyman, said he will also have a strict policy with workers who deal with the public. The employees will not be allowed to yell at customers under any circumstances, he said as an example.
If a customer gets out of line, which he said happens often, the employee is supposed to immediately call for a supervisor.
Any employee who violates that rule even once will be fired, he said.
Weiner said he does not consider that policy to be too harsh.
"No, you have to set the tone," he said.
Still, he realizes the pressure on workers is immense.
"It’s a lot of pressure. It’s a lot of stress, and you can crack," he said.
At least one customer said people are already noticing the changes.
Describing the previous atmosphere in the East Brunswick DMV as "chaotic and unfriendly," Daniel Gray, a township resident who is a chiropractor with a practice in South River, said the atmosphere is "so much different," and that the workers are much more friendly.
Legreide asked Weiner to go to the troubled station and clean it up.
"She had asked me if I would do her a favor, that this was a problem agency and she needed an experienced agent to come in and take control and get it back on track," he said.
"My responsibilities are to oversee the proper staffing and operation of the agency, which includes everything from making sure customers are served politely to making sure work is done properly and accounting for equipment," he said.
One thing he does not have to worry about is the actual inspection station, which is run by a private company.
Weiner said he is hoping the state Legislature approves a $150 million expenditure to improve security and update the DMV’s computer system throughout the state.