TEMPLE — Temple's Department of Public Safety Driver's License Office will not serve people for issues that can be taken care of online.
Monday, the office displayed a sign reading "This office is only processing transactions for customers getting a Texas DL or ID for the first time and those who are required to present documentation in person."
On the Department of Public Safety website, a note for the site reads:
"Due to the summer heat and safety considerations, this driver license office is providing limited services. Customers who are eligible to renew, replace or change their address online, will be referred to Texas.gov or a nearby Driver License Center."
The nearest large centers are in Killeen and in Georgetown. The bottom line, if people can do something online they won't be able to get help in Temple.
Texas State Representative Hugh Shine (district 55), told Channel 6 his constituents were already alerting him last Friday.
"I had emails, Facebook posts, some phone calls, which alerted me to what was fixing to happen," Shine said. "I immediately started reaching out to the DPS folks."
Shine drove to the office Monday to find out what was going on.
He told Channel 6 supervisors told him the office had lines all the way out the door for the last few weeks and some people then needed medical attention because of the heat.
The Department of Public Safety then decided the Temple location and five other facilities in the State would only provide services that required people to be present.
People were not notified until late Friday, however, and the policy went into effect the next Monday. Shine said DPS simply did not give people enough time to adjust.
"We could have addressed things more clearly... It was a very abrupt decision," Shine said. "That should have been thought out a little be more carefully."
The policy does make sense in Theory. The department of public safety said it Processed 30,732 transactions last year. When shine asked for more data, he was told there were 21,017 transactions for renewals, modifications, or duplicates. DPS said 18,125 of those transactions, as in the vast majority of them, could have been handled online, by telephone or mail -- saving some people a trip and saving many other people time waiting in line. DPS claims 59 percent of the transactions at the facility could be done online.
Customers understand the issue but disagree on principle.
"It's wrong! It's a state service. Driver's license ID's are required," Charles Buhl said. "They should be able to help us regardless of wither it is offered online or not. Some people... they may not know how to do it. That's what these folks are supposed to be for."
Both Shine and DPS representatives told Channel 6 there needs to be legislation in the 2019 Legislative Session that will provide more funding for a larger DPS facility near Temple. Shine told Channel 6 he has started discussions on what a new facility would look like.
"It's all about money," Shine said. "The fact that DPS has had to use a good portion of their money on the border and reduce their budget by 4% for administration, that had an impact."