The Trenton facility is the first MVC agency to have the new security cameras installed and operating.
The need for security cameras was cited by the Fix DMV Commission as a necessary fraud deterrent and was subsequently included in the Motor Vehicle Security and Customer Service Act, a bill Gov. McGreevey signed into law in January 2003.
"The Garden State's driver licenses were among the easiest to copy and counterfeit. Identity theft was rampant. This was a legitimate homeland security concern," McGreevey said. "But no more. The Fix DMV plan is eliminating problems. Our new, digital licenses are virtually counterfeit-proof. Our 'Six Points of ID' requirement ensures these licenses won't fall into the wrong hands. These new security cameras are another step as we make New Jersey as modern and secure as our citizens demand and deserve," the governor continued.
"Our focus with these cameras is transparent: further reducing document fraud and identity theft," said MVC Chief Administrator Sharon Harrington.
Identity theft is the fastest growing consumer crime in the country. There were 10 million complaints filed nationally in 2003, costing individuals an estimated $5 billion.
MVC purchased more than 450 surveillance cameras at a cost of $2.4 million from Security Services & Technologies Inc.
