Abuse of Citizen's Band Radio

Introduction

Most licensed Citizens' Band (CB) radio operators are responsible people who operate without causing interference or annoyance to others.

Unfortunately a minority of CB users choose to operate irresponsibly and/or without a licence. Most of them act in full knowledge of what they are doing and the harm and annoyance they are causing. The CB community does not want irresponsible operators and this information sheet explains what you can do to help us deal with this problem.

What is abuse?

Abuse of CB radio comes in several forms. However, most of it is designed either to deny access to the channels or to offend and annoy by causing deliberate interference, using offensive or threatening language or, playing music. Some abusers target particular individuals by using offensive language towards them or by attempting to block their access to the channels by keying them out.

It is worth remembering that grossly offensive and obscene language and threats are matters for the police and should be reported to them. The Wireless Telegraphy (Content of Transmission Regulations) 1988 (Statutory Instrument 1988 No 47) make it an offence to send a message, communication or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an obscene or menacing character. Sadly, offensive language is more commonplace these days and courts need evidence that the language used in the alleged offence is worse than that encountered in everyday life or is common on TV or radio.

What should you do when you encounter abuse?

Rule number one is do not respond to it. Experience suggests that abusers want an audience, so ignore them, however tempting it is to attempt to shut them up by retorting back. You - not they - win if you do not respond.

Rule number two is do not approach or confront them.

Rule number three is, if it occurs frequently, make a note of it. Write down essential details such as the date, time, frequency (or channel), location, mobile or fixed, what form the abuse took and any other factors that you think might be useful such as if illegal equipment is being used or if the perpetrator is unlicensed. A tape recording of the abuse may also be helpful. You should label the tape with the time, date and channel you were operating on.

Rule number four is maintain this log in order to build up a pattern of the abuser's operations. We recommend that you should keep a log for a period of two weeks before submitting your report (see page 2).

Rule number five is make sure the information you collect is precise and accurate.

What can the Agency do?

The Agency has the legal powers to enforce the law. The penalties can be severe. Offences tried in a magistrates court attract a maximum penalty of £5,000 and/or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months. Those tried before a jury can attract an unlimited fine and/or two years' imprisonment.

In addition, a court may order all or any of the apparatus of the station and other apparatus used in the commission of the offence (including, in the case of mobile transmissions, the motor vehicle used) to be forfeited to the Secretary of State.

Another possibility is licence revocation. This is a separate procedure that is quite independent of any court action, although most revocations take place following a successful prosecution. The purpose of the revocation is to protect the spectrum.

Where a licence is reinstated, the Agency may require the individual to re-pass the Radio Amateurs' Examination. This provides an opportunity for the individual to demonstrate an understanding of licence conditions. The Agency may also consider varying an individual's licence to impose certain conditions on subsequent use.

Expectations

CB radio is a hobby. It is allocated radio spectrum on the understanding that no protection can be given against interference on the channels. The Agency's priorities in dealing with interference have been set by Ministers. These are to deal first with interference affecting the emergency services as safety to life may be involved. Secondly to assist business and commercial users threatened by interference, as the loss of radio contact can prove to be costly. Finally to deal with all other complaints of interference.

Enforcement work is not easy. It takes many hours of quiet and painstaking work. It often involves gathering many pieces of information from a variety of sources and then verifying it by monitoring and other investigations. If you are able to help by submitting reports we will be very grateful. However we will not necessarily be able to tell you anything about what has been done with your information as all investigations are treated as confidential. It may be that a prosecution is pending and the case will be subjudice until the conclusion of proceedings. What we can do, however, is to assure you in advance that such reports will be treated seriously and if a prosecution is brought we will let you know the result.

British Citizens Band Confederation

CB radio has its own new national representative organisation, the British Citizens' Band Confederation (BCBC). Members and non-members are encouraged to report abuse incidents to the BCBC.

If you are able to help then please send your reports, either directly or via your club or group, to:

Chris Perry
Head of Regional Services
BCBC
PO Box 5826
Basildon
Essex SS16 5FQ

If you would like to receive ten double sided BCBC log sheets please send an A4 size 40p SAE to the BCBC PO Box 5826 as above with a covering letter. Information on how to join the BCBC and how to become a BCBC monitor is available from the BCBC membership secretary.

Reports of abuse

Should be sent to:

RA3/EPU
Radiocommunications Agency
Wyndham House
189 Marsh Wall
London E14 9SX
Tel: 020 7211 0463

Alternatively reports of abuse can be sent to the local office which covers your postcode.

A similar information sheet RA345 has been produced concerning "Abuse of Amateur Radio".

For further information on revocation see RA346.

ADDRESSES OF AGENCY'S LOCAL OFFICES

Contact addresses, with the postcode each local office covers are as follows.

NORTH EAST ENGLAND

BD-Bradford; DH-Durham; DL-Darlington; DN-Doncaster; HD-Huddersfield; HG-Harrogate; HU-Hull; HX-Halifax; LN-Lincoln; LS-Leeds; NE-Newcastle; S-Sheffield; SR-Sunderland; TS-Cleveland; WF-Wakefield;YO-York.

Radiocommunications Agency
PO Box 2500, Leeds LS16 5XQ
Tel: 0113 203 0200
Fax: 0113 203 0221

NORTH WEST ENGLAND

BB-Blackburn; BL-Bolton; CA-Carlisle; CH-Chester (English section); CW-Crewe; FY-Blackpool; L-Liverpool; LA-Lancaster; M-Manchester; OL-Oldham; PR-Preston; SK-Stockport; WA-Warrington; WN-Wigan.

Radiocommunications Agency
PO Box 2500, Newton Le Willows,
Merseyside WA12 ONP
Tel: 01942 528200
Fax: 01942 528218

SOUTH & SOUTH WEST ENGLAND

BA-Bath; BH-Bournemouth; BS-Bristol; DT-Dorchester; EX-Exeter; GL-Gloucester; GU-Guildford; GY-Guernsey; JE-Jersey; OX-Oxford; PL-Plymouth; PO- Portsmouth; RG-Reading; SL-Slough; SN-Swindon; SO-Southampton; SP-Salisbury; TA-Taunton; TQ-Torquay; TR-Truro.

Radiocommunications Agency
PO Box 2500, Bristol BS99 7LJ
Tel: 0117 959 7200
Fax: 0117 959 7230

MIDLANDS & EAST ANGLIA

B-Birmingham; CB-Cambridge; CV-Coventry; DE-Derby; DY-Dudley; HP-Hemel Hempstead; HR-Hereford; IP-Ipswich; LE-Leicester; LU-Luton; MK-Milton Keynes; NG-Nottingham; NN-Northampton; NR-Norwich; PE-Peterborough; ST-Stoke; SY-Shrewsbury (English section); TF-Telford; WR-Worcester; WS-Walsall; WV-Wolverhampton.

Radiocommunications Agency
PO Box 2500, Birmingham B32 ITA
Tel: 0121 423 5200
Fax: 0121 423 5232

LONDON & SOUTH EAST ENGLAND

AL-St Albans; BN-Brighton; BR-Bromley; CM-Chelmsford; CO-Colchester; CR-Croydon; CT-Canterbury; DA-Dartford; E-London East; EC-London East Central; EN-Enfield; HA-Harrow; IG-Ilford; KT-Kingston; ME-Medway; N-London North; NW-London North West; RH-Redhill; RM-Romford; SE London South East; SG-Stevenage; SM-Sutton; SS-Southend; SW-London South West; TN-Tonbridge; TW-Twickenham; UB-Southall; W-London West; WC-London West Central; WD-Watford.

Radiocommunications Agency
PO Box 2500, Whyteleafe,
Surrey CR3 0YL
Tel: 020 8645 2200
Fax: 020 8668 2194

SCOTLAND, WALES, NORTHERN IRELAND & ISLE OF MAN

Scotland

Radiocommunications Agency
PO Box 2500, Falkirk FK1 1XP
Tel: 01324 616200
Fax: 01324 616212

Wales

Radiocommunications Agency
PO Box 2500, Cardiff CF14 4YW
Tel: 029 2052 4200
Fax: 029 2052 4217

Northern Ireland & Isle of Man

Radiocommunications Agency
PO Box 2500, Belfast BT8 8SA
Tel: 028 9081 0200
Fax: 028 9081 4515

Any general enquiries about this information sheet should be addressed to Neil Marr on 020 7211 0461.

The Radiocommunications Agency has produced a range of Information Sheets, General Publication, Licence Application Forms and Guidance Notes, concerning the use of the radio spectrum. These publications, unless otherwise stated are available free of charge on a single copy basis and may be obtained from:

The Library and Information Service
Radiocommunications Agency
Wyndham House
189 Marsh Wall
London E14 9SX

Tel: 020 7211 0502/0505
Fax: 020 7211 0507

RA 344 (Rev 2) April 2001