Burglars Hit OKC Tag Agencies; Tulsa Agencies Warned To Be Careful

The Department of Public Safety is warning Tulsa-area tag agents to protect their equipment used to make driver's licenses.

Burglars hit several tag agencies in the Oklahoma City area and stole everything they needed to make fake, but authentic-looking copies.

At Central Tag, they're very aware they deal with lots of personal information. Everything from the picture, to all the information on the license and all the information stored with it is in their hands.

Manager John Haefeker said most everything is under lock and key.

"Most of the paperwork we take in is sent over to the tax commission, where they secure it, but everything else is kept really secure," Haefeker said.

In the last month, the Department of Public Safety has investigated a rash of thefts of driver's license making equipment in the Oklahoma City area.

A printer and the blank licenses inside it could be used to make perfect copies. So, DPS has reminded tag agents they're supposed to not only lock everything up--they're supposed to take the machine apart and disable it and shred the printer ribbon every day.

"There's a color ribbon inside that copies the information, prints the information on the license in color. So that information has to be destroyed every night, on a daily basis," Haefeker said.

The stolen equipment was everything needed to make an Oklahoma license and plenty of copies.

The printer has copies of recently made real licenses inside, but thieves could also erase the real information and make copies with fake information for a very authentic-looking fake ID.

Central Tag averages about 75 licenses each day, and is responsible for keeping the information secure.

They say they've never had a break-in, but are certain, if it happens, thieves won't get what they want from them, since what they don't keep is shredded every day.

There have been arrests made and some equipment recovered in Oklahoma City.

None of the break-ins reported were in the Tulsa area.