Release:

GA Department of Driver Services (DDS), Office of Investigative Services, Receives Protection Vests from GA Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)

GA Department of Driver Services (DDS) recently received eight protective ballistic vests from the GA Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) for use by the DDS Office of Investigative Services (OIS).  These vests, provided through the Georgia FOP’s “Protect the Protectors Program,” were presented to DDS Commissioner Spencer R. Moore and DDS Director of Investigations Jared Smith by DDS Deputy Commissioner Ricky Rich, who is also a Past President of the Georgia State FOP.

“Officer Safety is a very important issue to all of us in law enforcement, and the ballistic vest has been proven to save lives and reduce injuries. We applaud the Georgia Fraternal Order of Police for their generous, lifesaving donation to our sworn investigators,” said Commissioner Moore.

DDS’ Office of Investigative Services (OIS) employs a staff of 13 P.O.S.T. certified law enforcement officers who focus on the investigation of allegations of driver’s license fraud and misconduct by the DDS’ employees. DDS Investigators work to ensure the security and integrity of Georgia’s license issuance process. Our Investigators collaborate with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in the interdiction of crimes relating to identity theft, fraud, forgery, and other crimes.

“The FOP is working to ensure that more officers within our state have this extra level of security.” Deputy Commissioner Rich added.   Being able to present these vests to officers that I have worked with over the years is special to me,” Rich said.  In the world we live in now, it is extremely important that all law enforcement officers wear protective vests, and the FOP is proud to assist in that effort.”

DDS has recently completed a monumental technology upgrade to serve customers better.  As the DDS Team becomes proficient with the new system, wait times statewide may be longer than usual. Please consider DDS Online Services for optimal service dds.georgia.gov.

About the GA Fraternal Order of Police

The Georgia FOP represents more than 5,200 law enforcement members across the state and is part of the nation’s largest law enforcement organization with more than 355,000 members nationwide. The FOP is committed to improving law enforcement through education, legislation, and training for its members so they can provide quality service to the public. “Operation Protect the Protector” is designed to donate ballistic vests to law enforcement agencies across Georgia, specifically to those agencies that have limited budgets.   As of this delivery, the FOP has provided 957 vests to 164 agencies.