POLICING BY THE POST OFFICE - A STUDY OF TELEVISION LICENSE EVASION

• NCJ Number: 61587
• Journal: British Journal of Criminology Volume: 18 Issue: 3 Dated: (JULY 1979) Pages: 242-253
• Author(s): R I MAWBY
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: Stevens and Sons
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

THIS BRITISH STUDY EXAMINES THE DETECTION AND HANDLING OF TELEVISION LICENSE EVASION BY THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT IN SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND FROM 1971 TO 1973.

Abstract

NONCOMMERCIAL TELEVISION IN GREAT BRITAIN, FINANCED BY A LICENSING SYSTEM, LOSES MILLIONS OF POUNDS IN REVENUE ANNUALLY THROUGH LICENSE EVASION. ALTHOUGH A 10-PERCENT SAMPLE OF EVADERS WAS GATHERED FROM POST OFFICE FILES FOR BOTH SHEFFIELD AND ROTHERHAM, THE BULK OF THE RESEARCH FOCUSED ON NINE AREAS IN SHEFFIELD. POST OFFICE RECORDS OF EVADERS WHOM THE POST OFFICE INTENDED TO PROSECUTE FORMED THE MAIN SOURCE OF INFORMATION, SUPPLEMENTED BY INFORMATION FROM THE RECORDS MADE FOR THE COURT. ALSO, SOME DETAILS OF ALL SUSPECTED EVADERS WERE COLLECTED FROM COMPUTER DATA OVER A LIMITED PERIOD. DISCUSSIONS WERE HELD WITH POST OFFICE AGENTS, AND SOME PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION WAS INCLUDED. RESULTS COVER THE PREVALENCE OF LICENSE EVASION AND THE MACHINERY FOR DETECTING EVASION, THE POST OFFICE'S APPROACH TOWARDS IDENTIFIED OR SUSPECTED OFFENDERS, AND THE NATURE OF THE EVADER POPULATION. THE REASONS FOR LICENSE EVASION AND THE INFLUENCE OF POLICE ON PUBLIC ATTITUDES ARE ALSO CONSIDERED. OVER HALF THE CASES WERE DROPPED, LEAVING 71 CASES WHERE EVASION COULD BE PROVED. THESE EVADERS WERE CLASSIFIED INTO FOUR CATEGORIES: LATE PLAYERS (32.4 PERCENT), 'LUCKY' EVADERS (11.3 PERCENT), INFORMAL CAUTIONS (21.1 PERCENT), AND OFFICIALLY PROCESSED EVADERS (35.2 PERCENT). EVIDENCE REVEALED THAT SOME OF THE NINE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS EXPERIENCED MORE EVASION THAN OTHERS. ACCORDING TO DATA ANALYSIS, EVADERS WERE DISTINGUISHED BY THEIR AREA OF RESIDENCE, RESIDENCE WITHIN AN AREA, SOCIAL CLASS, AND EMPLOYMENT RECORD, AS WELL AS BEING OVERREPRESENTED AMONG THE LOWER CLASS AND UNEMPLOYED. GIVEN THE LINK BETWEEN EVASION AND ECONOMIC AND SUBCULTURAL FACTORS, ABOLISHMENT OF THE LICENSING SYSTEM IS RECOMMENDED. TABULAR DATA, FOOTNOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (PRG)