NCJ Number
221866
Journal
International Journal of Police Science & Management Volume: 9 Issue: 4 Dated: Winter 2007 Pages: 357-370
Date Published
2007
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This British study tested the theory that individuals who have committed serious crimes would become known to police through their more visible commission of minor offenses, such as traffic violations.
Abstract
This study provides an approximate profile of individuals who are and are not likely to comply with an HO/RT1, which is a traffic ticket issued to drivers in Great Britain stopped for traffic offenses who are unable to immediately produce requested documents, such as a driver’s license and an indication of auto insurance coverage. The recipient of an HO/RT1 is required to produce the requested documents within 7 days at a police station geographically convenient to the driver. A review of the criminal histories of individuals issued HO/RT1 tickets found that those who failed to produce required documents within 7 days were likely to have a history of three or more offenses, possibly serious. This suggests that those individuals issued HO/RT1 tickets after a traffic stop who do not comply with the 7-day requirement to produce the documents at a police station are likely to be active criminals. Thus, the scrutiny of individuals who violate HO/RT1 mandates would be fruitful in uncovering offending of a more serious nature. The study focused on all the HO/RT1s issued by the Lancashire Constabulary Central Ticket Office (England) on December 1, 2004 (n=129). A database was created with information on all persons issued an HO/RT1 on that date. Whether or not these individuals complied with the 7-day requirement was determined. Background checks were conducted on all the subjects, with a focus on any known offending history. 4 tables, 3 notes, and 16 references