Anti-social behaviour
From a safe distance, anti-social behaviour might not seem serious.
But if it's your home or your street, it can leave you feeling intimidated, angry and frightened. It can ruin lives and make whole areas feel unsafe.
It totally destroyed any happiness we had in the home for a long time.
- A victim of anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour almost always starts small. Over time, the little incidents add up. The behaviour gets more serious. Things that were just a nuisance to begin with can become threatening or dangerous.
So don't wait. Report it. Together, we can stop it.
Is it happening in your street?
Examples of behaviours that are generally not considered anti-social include children playing, everyday noise from washing machines and lawn mowers, and noise from DIY projects (unless they are carried out at an unreasonable time of night or day).
Anti-social behaviour (ASB) includes:
• Threatening or 'yobbish' behaviour
• Gangs 'hanging around'
• Abusive, rowdy or noisy neighbours
• People buying or selling drugs
• Drinking in the street, aggressive begging
• Night time noise from houses or gardens
• Setting off fireworks late at night
• Graffiti and fly-posting
• Vandalism
• Cars abandoned on the street
• Litter and fly-tipping
• Any other behaviour that disturbs or scares you
Some of these may be one-off events; others may happen repeatedly, so the effects add up over time.
Enough is enough.
If you report ASB, we'll take you seriously. We'll listen to you. We'll do something about it.
If you're worried about your safety, we can take measures to protect your identity. We will not tell the people causing the problem that you have reported it.
It's an offence for anyone to threaten you. If that happens, tell us and we will take action.
We'll do everything we can to support you from start to finish.
The police parked their car a long way off, came to our house by a roundabout route, wore ordinary clothes. And they sat on the sofa and said, 'Right, tell us what's going on.' It was just so lovely to offload and for everything to be taken seriously and be really really listened to.
- A victim of anti-social behaviour
The truth is, sometimes it does take courage to report ASB. Sometimes, the only way to change things is for a community to join together and be brave and stand up to the bullies. The chances are you'll find that there are other people in your community who are suffering. You need to report it so that people can come together - with our support and the council - to tackle it. You don't need to do it alone.
- Chief Inspector Julia Pope
We will take it seriously…
There is an anti-social behaviour officer in your district, someone who is either part of Sussex Police or your local council. This person will co-ordinate the investigation into your complaint. They will link in with local Neighbourhood Policing Teams, housing providers, councils, and any other relevant agencies.
We can do something about it…
The sooner you let us know there's a problem, the better. Once you have reported the problem, we will agree a plan of action with you and keep you updated on progress. If we're not the best placed agency to solve the problem, we will work with the other relevant agencies and agree with you who will keep you updated.
There are a number of things we can do:
• A police visit
Sometimes people are not aware that their behaviour is affecting the quality of life of others - a visit from a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) or Police Officer can often be enough to fix the problem.
• Community Resolution
Community Resolution involves finding positive solutions to relatively minor crimes and incidents by encouraging offenders to face up to their actions and the impact they have had on others. For example, the offender could apologise or repair the damage they have caused. You'll find more about CR on our website www.sussex.police.uk/advice-and-support/community-resolution
• Mediation
Mediation involves a specially trained independent person who sits down with both parties and helps them understand one other's view and solve the problem. Ask your local council if this service is available in your area.
• Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC)
This is a voluntary contract signed by the individual responsible for the anti-social behaviour. It clearly states which behaviour is unacceptable and what the consequences will be if the behaviour is repeated.
If these first steps don't work, legal action can be taken.
If there is enough evidence, we may be able to obtain a court order. This could involve:
• Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO)
An ASBO can ban an offender from visiting certain areas or being with certain people, or from carrying out certain behaviour (such as consuming alcohol in public places or painting graffiti). An ASBO lasts for a minimum of two years, and breaching an ASBO is a criminal offence punishable by a fine or up to five years in prison.
• Injunction
An injunction is a court order that tells a person they are not allowed to do a certain act (such as harass you or come within a certain distance of your home). Breaking an injunction could result in the person being arrested or sent to prison.
• Tenancy Action
In this case, your housing provider would deal with the court. For example, if the person has signed a tenancy agreement to prevent tenants from behaving anti-socially, breaching this agreement could ultimately result in their eviction.
As a victim of anti-social behaviour, getting a court order will not cost you anything (unless you choose to take out a private court order).
Will you have to go to court?
For us to get a court order, you may need to make a statement and attend court to give evidence. If you are anxious about this, you might be able to make a statement anonymously or give your evidence from behind a screen - or it may be possible for a police officer to act as a 'professional witness' and provide your evidence for you.
Report it. Together we can stop it
In an emergency, call 999 immediately. It's an emergency:
- If life is threatened
- If people are injured
- If offenders are nearby
- If immediate action is required
Who deals with the different types of anti-social behaviour?
When it's not an emergency, different types of anti-social behaviour are dealt with by different agencies. The following lists will help you choose the right agency to contact about your particular concern:
Contact Sussex Police by calling 101 or report online at www.sussex.police.uk or visit your local station for: begging, criminal damage or vandalism, drug dealing, intimidation or harassment, rowdy or nuisance behaviour or street drinking and anti-social drinking.
Contact your District or Local Council for: discarded drug paraphernalia, graffiti, litter and discarded rubbish, fly tipping and fly posting, noise complaints, including noisy neighbours, loud music, noise from businesses, nuisance animals, street drinking and anti-social drinking that is related to premises selling alcohol.
Contact Operation Crackdown at www.operationcrackdown.org for: anti-social use of motor vehicles, anti-social driving and abandoned vehicles.
For noisy tenants in rented accommodation, contact their landlords.
In the place where we live, with the police support and the council support, and the community being brave enough - if you work together you can have a really good outcome.
- A victim of anti-social behaviour
What else can you do?
- Join your local Neighbourhood Watch scheme or a tenants' or residents' association
- Attend a monthly meeting with your Neighbourhood Policing Team
- Discuss any issues with your local councillor, who can act on your behalf to raise concerns with the council and other organisations.
- Become a volunteer for Victim Support
- Become a Special Constable
By playing an active role in your community you really can help make a difference.
Help make yours a neighbourhood where anti-social behaviour is tackled, not tolerated.
More about Anti Social Behaviour
Anti-social behaviour has a wide legal definition. In relation to anti social behaviour orders, the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 section 1 (1) (a) defines it as: 'acting in a manner that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as himself, and that such an order is necessary to protect relevant persons from further anti-social acts by that person'. Examples include harassment, graffiti, assault, being drunk and disorderly, drug dealing, verbal abuse and noise.