Making the Most Out of the Alabama Department of Public Safety Website
The Alabama Department of Public Safety, or ADPS, has developed and launched a website that is designed to provide information and utility to residents and visitors to the state of Alabama. Located at http://www.dps.state.al.us, the ADPS website features a wide range of different types of information and services. In this article, we will take a look at each of the sections, and how residents and visitors can make the best use of them.
The Home Page
The Home page of the ADPS website functions similarly to many other websites. It features a welcome message, which provides a brief overview of the functions of the website, as well as some important legal messages. Some of these include details about the seatbelt laws in Alabama, drunk driving laws in Alabama, and information regarding Alabama’s “move-over” law, which requires motorists to move over or slow down when they encounter emergency responders stopped roadside with their emergency signals activated.
The Home page also serves as a navigation hub for the ADPS website, and includes links to each of the Divisions (Administrative, Alabama Bureau of Investigation, Driver License, Highway Patrol, Protective Services, and Service), as well as providing some Quick Links (ATV Safety, Employment, Driver License Manuals, Drive License Forms, Fusion Center Information, the Child Restraint Law, Golf Oil Spill Information, and News Releases).
Finally, the Home Page includes images of two ADPS key administrators, as well as a brief selection of other links. Also, scrolling to the bottom of the page will reveal copyright information, further Alabama public resource links, as well as translation resources, which allow foreign visitors to translate the ADPS website into Spanish, German, Korean or Japanese.
Divisions
The primary purpose of each Division section is to briefly explain what each Division of the ADPS does, as well as providing some links for how you can work with each Division. Further, each Division section shows an image and brief biography of the Division Chief.
1. Administrative
The primary function of the Administrative Division of the ADPS website is to provide a set of Division Links, which are intended to provide citizens and visitors to Alabama important legal and administrative information about the state. This Division section also briefly explains various aspects of the Administrative wing of the ADPS Division.
2. Alabama Bureau of Investigation
This Division is the home of the Alabama Bureau of Investigation. In addition to detailing their mission statement and credo, this Division section includes a variety of important links for visitors and citizens of Alabama that believe they may require the services of the Alabama Bureau of Investigation. These links include but are not limited to the ABI’s history, the Alabama Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Bomb Squad, and Cyber Crimes divisions.
3. Driver License
Unlike other Division sections, this part of the ADPS website includes very little text, and is instead meant to serve as a hub for Alabama citizens that wish to acquire information about obtaining a driver’s license in Alabama. Any and all information needed to obtain this license can be found here, including licensing requirements, office schedules, the driver’s license point system, and a link to schedule a driving test. If you are looking to obtain an Alabama driver’s license, this is the place to start.
4. Highway Patrol
This section provides some links with detailed information about the Highway Patrol Division of the ADPS. Here you can find detailed information about Aerial Speed Enforcement, Construction Zone Traffic Enforcement, DUI Convictions, Highway Emergencies, Honor Guard, Motor Carrier Safety Unit, Speed Limits, Tag Number County Designations, Tag Requirements, Traffic Wreck Statistics, and the Trooper Reserve Program. If you have any questions or need any information about how the Highway Patrol Division works, this is the place to find it.
5. Protective Services
The Protective Services Division of the ADPS consists of the State Capitol Police Unit, the Executive Security Unit, and the Governor’s Mansion Security Detail. In other words, this Division handles all of the security needs to the executive level of the Alabama state government. In this section, you can find a brief history of the Division, as well as some links to the Capitol Police, Dignitary Protection, and the Governor’s Mansion.
6. Service
The Service Division is responsible with providing the State Trooper and other state-level agencies with their electronic equipment. In this section, you can find information relating to the Service Division, as well as some links which include the Activation Unit, Auctions, and Photographic Services.
The remaining sections of the ADPS website, including Information and Media, serve to provide other pieces of administrative information and media of the ADPS that can be used for press releases, communications, and other non-commercial uses.
