Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said Wednesday that California should issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants though he also says licenses for illegal immigrants should not be identical to standard licenses. Chief Beck believes that the number of hit-and-run accidents would decrease if illegal immigrants were licensed, because they would not have to fear being caught without a license at accidents. He acknowledged that state officials would have to address concerns that licensing illegal immigrants would make it easier for terrorists to go undetected but otherwise would improve road safety and help combat uninsured drivers.

Bob Dane, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, challenged Beck’s notion saying it would “represent a threat to public safety and national security” and that issuing the licenses would be “providing a gold-plated membership card into society” for illegal immigrants. Beck’s support for licensing illegal immigrants comes after he publicly proposed changes to California’s impound laws to prevent the vehicles driven by unlicensed drivers from being impounded if a licensed driver were able to arrive “immediately” or was already in the car.