Connecticut Ordered to Improve School Bus Driver Background Checks

HARTFORD, Conn. (Dec. 12, 2006) - The Connecticut DMV is undertaking a review of all past and present school bus endorsement holders to identify any others who may have received the credential because policies were not followed.

Loop holes in the Connecticut DMV's system of checking school bus driver backgrounds were ordered closed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell following the October pedestrian death at the hands of a driver with a criminal record who was later found to be under the influence of cocaine.

"Safety of school children is clearly the single most important factor when giving someone a license to drive a school bus," Rell said in a statement. "The recently disclosed problems in the process are entirely unacceptable to me. I have ordered the DMV to provide me within one week a new plan for organizing and managing the unit overseeing checks on applicants."

It was discovered the bus driver in question failed to disclose on his job application previous legal troubles, those which could have been grounds for disqualification in the first place. Gov. Rell's order requires the DMV to immediately begin conducting random background checks of school bus drivers around the state. Rell also directed the DMV to sample at least a half dozen Connecticut cities and towns to determine the extent of any school bus licensing issues.

"We are still working on all of this in an effort to determine what, if any, changes need to be made to the process," said Del Cornell, DMV division chief in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Division.

An overhaul of the DMV's procedures involved in background checks has also been ordered by the governor, according to a press release on the Connecticut DMW Web site. An initial review has defined a number of lapses in the process. Key employees from different divisions within the agency who are known to strictly adhere to policy while performing their jobs replaced the current department staff.

The DMV and the Connecticut State Police responded by agreeing to implement "a more expedient and thorough process for performing initial background checks required of applicants to drive a school bus." DMV Commissioner William Ramirez said the background check review is still in progress, but it indicates existing procedures for ensuring checks are done thoroughly and properly were not followed in at least the instance of the driver involved in the October pedestrian death.

The DMV's preliminary findings, which Gov. Rell also ordered, showed:

• Inconsistent application of policies
• A need for a stronger working relationship with the state police
• Inadequate oversight of staff
• A requirement for tighter and more specific controls and guidelines regarding criteria for disqualifying an applicant
• A need for more established contact with bus companies for helping them understand the requirements that drivers must meet and when drivers are disqualified

The DMV was to also send a letter to all school bus companies to explain findings from a current analysis, including paperwork of license applicants who misstated matters pertaining to criminal convictions, and explain the level and kind of detail that must be provided.