Police call for photographs on driving licences

Press, 7 May 1984, Page 13

Police call for photographs on driving licences

PA Wellington Police commissioners from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and New Guinea want photographs included on driver’s licences to help stem what they see as a disturbing level of fraudulent misuse of credit cards. The call for photographs in drivers’ licences was one of four main observations made by the commissioners after a conference in Wellsioner, Mr K. 0. Thompson, who chaired the meeting, said much of what had been discussed was confidential. While the conference believed photographs on credit cards might inhibit offending, it .recognised the impracticality because of cost and the multiplicity of card types. The conference felt drivers’ licences would be a more suitable means of verifying identification. The conference also

called for personal collection of credit cards or dispatch by registered mail. It said that 50 per cent of offences were the result of cards stolen between posting and delivery. The matter is already being investigated in New Zealand. The conference called for legislation to prevent legitimising profits from criminal activities such as drug trafficking. It said there was little control over small, private, limited-lia-bility companies which could be used as fronts for laundering the proceeds of crimes. The conference noted that legislation was already before New Zealand’s Parliament in respect of access to solicitors’ trust funds. The legislation will authorise the granting of search warrants to inspect accounting records.