THP Picks Up Slack on ID Theft Investigations

Safety Commissioner Bill Gibbons speaks to reporters at a press conference Tuesday. Blake Farmer/WPLN

Tennessee is dedicating more than a dozen law enforcement officers to investigating identity crimes. The Department of Safety and Homeland Security has created a new unit of mostly Highway Patrolmen.

The Safety Department is given specific authority in state law to investigate identity theft. Commissioner Bill Gibbons says the agency has taken on some cases, but not enough.

“One, our federal partners are just snowed under with this. And two, it was a recognition on our part that local law enforcement agencies by and large do not have the expertise to investigate these cases.”

Nationwide, identity theft is on the rise. In Tennessee, the rate of growth is a bit slower. There were more than 4,000 complaints last year, according to the Consumer Sentinel Network.

Commissioner Gibbons says he believes many more go unreported. But he cautions that the new Identity Crimes Unit still won’t get to every case. Some are just too small. Many fall outside the Highway Patrol’s geographic jurisdiction, in which case the state will pass the information to the Secret Service.

The Safety Department has information for victims of identity theft at its website. State officials say victims should still notify local law enforcement before contacting the Highway Patrol.