In general, it feels like the temperature is rising.

Interactions between people too often or too easily erupt into anger or violence. This is true in many public places, and according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, government service centers and public-facing agencies face a heightened risk of workplace violence.

Recently, members identified employee safety and security within the DMV service space as a top concern, citing an increase in threatening incidents and employees feeling unsafe at work.

With this information, according to Darcy Doty, AAMVA’s vice president of MVA Operations & Customer Experience, the next logical question was, “What can AAMVA do to help DMVs be prepared for these active threats?”

The answer was to create a Safety and Security Working Group and draft a best practices guide. The document, which will be published later this year, will focus on physical security and internal preparedness practices that can be implemented across jurisdictions of all sizes.

Here is what to expect in the guide, along with some steps you can take now to improve employee safety and security.

Identifying Best Practices

The Safety and Security Working Group is taking a holistic look at the safety of staff and customers in DMV spaces. “There’s not just one solution that is going to do it all; there have to be multiple solutions that can be implemented to fully minimize risk,” Doty says.

“Many people come to the DMV, and they’re already upset because of some kind of administrative circumstance. If you remove some of those friction points that are causing people to be frustrated to begin with, they’re not mad when they walk in the door.”
Benjamin Mitchell, Director of the Driver Services Program at the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles

AAMVA’s best practices guide will offer various options for jurisdictions to select what best fits their needs. The document will be structured around an incident lifecycle: preparation, detection, containment, resolution and recovery.

Preparation

“Historically, motor vehicle agencies have always been in reactive mode,” says Benjamin Mitchell, director of the Driver Services Program at the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles, and a working group member. “Now, more than ever, we’ve realized across the nation, and really around the world, that a proactive approach is the way to go.”

There are two essential elements of preparation that make workspaces secure. One is through physical infrastructure, such as adding bollards in front of doors or upgrading video cameras. The other is to provide high-quality, frequent staff training in de-escalation, emergency handling and threat response.

But Mitchell believes that preparation starts earlier, by understanding what leads to many customer incidents. “One of the things that is a key for all DMVs is to remove the reason for the friction to begin with,” he says. “Many people come to the DMV, and they’re already upset because of some kind of administrative circumstance. If you remove some of those friction points that are causing people to be frustrated to begin with, they’re not mad when they walk in the door.”

This can be as simple as providing easy-to-understand instructions about required documentation or better signage directing customers to the DMV facility.

Detection

Identifying potential incidents involves paying attention, including to troubling body
language, rising voices and other signs of escalation. This gives staff members a chance to de-escalate the situation before it becomes threatening.

It’s also important to recognize when a threatening incident has occurred. Staff members who face the public every day may feel that an angry comment isn’t worth reporting. But if a customer says something specific about harm, that’s a threat.

“One concern we have is that some of those incidents aren’t identified or reported,” Doty says. “In this guide, we want to outline how to identify and detect security threats and emphasize the importance of reporting them.”

Containment and Resolution

Training is important for ensuring staff members know how to contain an immediate threat and take steps to resolve it. It’s a best practice to partner with local law enforcement and emergency response agencies familiar with your environment.

“In this guide, we want to outline how to identify and detect security threats and emphasize the importance of reporting them.”
Dary Doty, AAMVA’s Vice President of MVA Operations & Customer Experience

For example, the Texas Department of Public Safety has 235 DMV offices, ranging from city mega-centers to remote single-person offices, according to Mimzie Dennis, assistant chief of the Driver License Division. The department partners with local law enforcement, including Texas State Troopers, to bring training to employees in regions and individual offices on how to respond to threats and medical emergencies. “We have training constantly happening,” Dennis says. “We try to customize the training to fit the building or the needs of the area where we’re doing the training.”

In contrast, New Hampshire has 14 DMV locations, and most serve a high volume of customers. “Last year, we conducted 425,000 in-person transactions at our counters around the state. So, in a state of about 1.4 million people, we see close to a third of the population every year in our lobbies,” says John Marasco, director of the New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles.

The New Hampshire DMV conducts an annual division-wide training day where they bring all DMV employees to one location for hands-on sessions led by the New Hampshire State Police SWAT Unit, New Hampshire Fire Academy and New Hampshire Emergency Services. They also invite subject matter experts to talk about mental health, psychosis and de-escalation.

“Our annual emergency preparedness training day is one that employees look forward to each year,” Marasco says. “It has equipped our employees with the tools and best practices to save a life, and I am so grateful to the first responders who provide this advanced level of training to all
New Hampshire DMV employees each year.”

Recovery

Just as it’s important to prepare staff for a safety incident, it’s essential to give them the care they need in the aftermath.

“When something bad happens, we have to remember that there were humans involved, and they need to be taken care of,” Mitchell says.

The New Hampshire DMV conducts an annual division-wide training day where they bring all DMV employees to one location for hands-on sessions led by the New Hampshire State Police SWAT Unit, New Hampshire Fire Academy and New Hampshire Emergency Services.

Recovery should include giving employees access to mental health support and counseling—and not just for major safety incidents. “Over time, when you have a lot of little ones that build up, it adds a lot of stress and can affect mental health,” Doty says. “We also risk losing employees to fear.”

Not addressing safety within your organization can lead to a variety of issues, including reduced employee morale and a lack of retention. “Your most valuable resource, and the most important thing you should be doing from a principle standpoint, is taking care of your employees and providing them with a safe work environment,” Marasco says.

Putting Ideas Into Practice

Doty hopes that DMVs using the guide will find practices they can begin implementing immediately, as well as long-term goals. “This document allows DMVs to share that this is an AAMVA-trusted best practice as they go to request new resources to help keep their employees and the public safe,” she says.

However, jurisdictions with immediate needs may not have to wait for the document to be published. AAMVA members may contact the working group through Doty for conversations about minimizing risk. “I’m happy to meet with any jurisdiction to get them equipped because it is such an important and immediate topic,” Doty says.

Get a Head Start

We asked Benjamin Mitchell and John Marasco, who both have law enforcement backgrounds, how they would improve employee safety and security at DMVs if they could only make three low-cost changes.

Benjamin Mitchell, director of the Driver Services Program at the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles:

1. Changing culture is free, but it takes leadership to emphasize the importance of safety and security.
2. DMV employees should already be filling out incident reports. Review those reports regularly to identify ways to improve processes and procedures.
3. Train employees on everything from active-shooter situations to protecting themselves on social media. Look for free training options; there are a lot out there.

John Marasco, director of the New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles:

1. Create (unarmed) safety monitor positions who greet people when they enter, walk the lobbies and talk to people who need assistance. Since we implemented this program, calls to police for incidents in our lobbies decreased 76%. This is built into our part-time employee budget.
2. Panic alarms don’t cost much to add to counters. If you already have panic alarms, test them and make sure you know who gets notified.
3. Invest in glass barriers between customers and employees, at least at your busiest locations.