Apr 20, 2009 8:18 am US/Eastern
Should Illegal Immigrants Get Drivers Licences?
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Here are a couple of situations police say happen too often:
They arrive at the scene of a car crash and the driver runs away.
Or they try to stop a car for a routine violation and end up in a high-speed chase.
Why do some of these drivers take off?
In some cases they are undocumented immigrants who don't have a license.
So what's the solution?
Well this may surprise you, but some police chiefs here in Massachusetts are saying: make it legal for these illegal immigrants to drive.
The Boston Globe talked to several police chiefs around the state who complain that cracking down on these unlicensed drivers is time consuming and costly.
The chiefs in Fitchburg, Framingham and Somerville are all in favor of permitting undocumented aliens to obtain drivers licenses.
They tell the Globe, they're going to drive anyway, we might as well know who they are.
Five states already allow it, saying it increases public safety and brings in much needed revenues.
But bills that would allow the same thing here have been shot down in the legislature with critics charging it just sanctions illegal behavior.
The sponsor of one bill told the Globe he withdrew his proposal after being bombarded with angry emails and phone calls.
What do you think?
Join the conversation in our
Conversation Nation blog.
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