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In 2009, Alabamians filed 3,586 identity theft complaints with the Federal Trade Commission, ranking Alabama 17h among the states in complaints filed per 100,000 residents. Identification fraud is one of the leading forms of robbery, costing financial institutions, businesses, government and consumers $1.7 billion annually.  Examiners working in the Department of Public Safety are on the frontline every day working diligently to protect all of these entities and individuals.

>> More Identity Theft Facts 

Those within the department who excel at recognizing fraudulent activity and go the extra mile to fight deceptive criminals and prevent fraud receive the annual Examiner of the Year Award.

In 2009, Spain was responsible for 21 felony and 84 misdemeanor arrests. In determining the award recipient, a point system is used, with points allocated for each arrest. The more serious the offense, the more points are given. Arrests made by those employed by the Driver License Division cover a wide range of charges, including failure to appear, felony fraud, forgery, robbery, larceny, child neglect, rape, parole violations and firearms violations. In 2009, Spain accumulated 463 points . She also was the Examiner of the Quarter for the first, third and fourth quarters of 2009 and was the 2008 Examiner of the Year.

>> More on the 2009 Examiners of the Quarter 

Spain’s partner, Driver License Specialist Regina Hardy of Birmingham, who was the 2007 and 2005 Examiner of the Year, finished second in 2009 with 412 points . At today’s event, she also was recognized for earning 216 points in the first quarter of 2010, making her the first Examiner of the Quarter for this year.

>> More on the 2010 Examiners of the Quarter 

The 2009 third-place finisher was Driver License Specialist Sharon Perry from the Mobile District, Mobile Driver License Office. She accumulated  361 points last year.

The Examiner of the Year and the Examiners of the Quarter were recognized during an 11:30 a.m. luncheon today at the Wynlakes Golf & Country Club in Montgomery. Col. J. Christopher Murphy, director of the Alabama Department of Public Safety, was the keynote speaker.

“Alabama retailers are proud that through this award program and our partnership with the Department of Public Safety, the Driver License Division has seen a 267 percent increase in its arrest record since the inception of the Examiner of the Year in 2000,” said ARA President Rick Brown.

Col. Murphy said, “Alabama’s driver license staff daily deals with a demanding and frequently stressful profession with dignity and dedication. I cannot say enough about their work to guard the public’s safety through driver licensing.” 

The partnership between the Alabama Department of Public Safety and the Alabama Retail Association saves thousands of lost retail dollars by preventing individuals from obtaining false identities, or stealing an individual's identity and using that identification to obtain checking and credit accounts for unlawful purposes. In 2009, the Driver License Division was responsible for 522 felony, 2,993 misdemeanor and 18 Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests.

The Alabama Retail Association represents almost 4,000 independent merchants and national companies that retail food, clothing, furniture and other general merchandise at more than 6,000 locations throughout Alabama.

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Media Contact: Nancy King Dennis | 800.239.5423 | 334.868.2195 (cell)