Posted on 02/22/2012 4:59:09 PM PST by BenLurkin
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck says the state of California should issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.
The licenses don’t have to be identical to those issued to citizens and can be a provisional license or a nonresident license, Beck told a group of Los Angeles Times’ reporters and editorial writers.
“The reality is that all the things that we’ve done – ‘we’ being the state of California – over the last 14, 16 years have not reduced the problem on iota, haven’t reduced undocumented aliens driving without licenses. So we have to look at what we’re doing,” Beck told the group. “When something doesn’t work over and over and over again, my view is that you should reexamine it to see if there is another way that makes more sense.”
Beck believes issuing licenses to illegal immigrants would improve safety on California roads and would, for example, reduce the number of hit-and-run accidents because illegal immigrant drivers would not have fear being caught without a license at accidents, according to the Times.
Beck has in recent months pushed to make a controversial change to the LAPD’s vehicle impound rules for unlicensed drivers. The policy now calls for the car of an unlicensed driver to be impounded, but Beck wants unlicensed drivers with a clean record to be able to call another driver with a license, who would then be allowed to drive the car away.
The impound policy as it currently stands and the resulting fees and fines are an unfair burden on illegal immigrants, Beck has said.
The proposed policy change has been under increasing fire in the wake of at least two fatal accidents involving unlicensed drivers.
In February, three women died after the sport utility vehicle they were in slammed into a tree in South LA. The driver, Tenina M. Calhoun of Moreno Valley, was cited just a month prior by the California Highway Patrol for driving without a license, but her vehicle was not impounded.
Another woman was killed last month in a hit-and-run crash in Boyle Heights. Police said the driver, who had a warrant out for his arrest, was unlicensed.
Cops are union workers too. Anything to cut down on work while earning more money.
Let’s just cut the chase and give the illegals California.
They can take Pelosi, Boxer, Tom Hanks and the rest with it....
Yes, but if the illegal provisional license holder does not cause any fatalities or drunk driving related deaths over the course of 9 years, your rates might decrease. But might also increase, depending on how many tickets the illegals get in your zip code.
The list is getting longer every day.........
There was a time when the LAPD and the LA Police Commission was separate political entity from the city. Now its part of the political Downtown “politically correct” politics since the Rodney King beating.
It should also make it easier for illegal aliens to vote for Democrats. Why didn’t he say that?
A difference in licenses will allow the insurance companies to charge illegals way more legals. IOW: either illegals will not buy insurance or the government will subsidize them.
I agree with this if the purpose is to allow them to head south and drive back home where they belong.
Well, the election is around the corner and the illegals need lead time to get registered to vote.
Nah, don't have to. Just come to NM and you can get one and then go back to CA.
Republican governor Martinez has tried each of her two years in office to repeal the law instituted under corrupt former Gov. Richardson, but the Dems in the NM state senate have blocked it (the NM House has passed it both years).
> LAPD Chief Charlie Beck: Give Driver’s Licenses To Illegal Immigrants
Of course!
It will make it easier for them to vote demonRAT.
There really isn’t any mystery with his behavior and wants. He’s a police chief who knows in his heart his responsibility to protect and serve is defeated. He has a job in a corrupt California Government and he is trying to make his job easier, that’s all. He’s waiting out his pension.
Licensing illegal Mexicans won’t solve anything except make it easier for them. They still won’t get insurance, nor will it stopping the worst among the (those at the lower illegal alien strata) from driving drunk. It won’t stop a damned thing - except that this measure will make it look like authorities and government are trying to do something....nothing but Kabuki theater here. That state is done - over - gone - kaput.
IF an illegal with a driver’s license from the Los Angeles area, much less California as a whole, were to be involved with ME in an accident, I would sue Beck & the Calif Legislature out of everything they own.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.