Safety - Anti-social Behaviour

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A Tragic Story

Late in the evening of October 23rd 2007, 38 year old Fiona Pilkington left her home in Barnwell, Leicestershire, she was accompanied by her 18 year old daughter, Francesca Hardwick who had severe learning difficulties and needed constant care and supervision. They both got into her Austin Maestro car and Fiona drove a short distance along the A47 to a lay-by. She pulled in, poured petrol over the rear seat and set it alight. Both she and her daughter died in the resulting fire.

Why did she undertake this remarkable course of action? At the inquest into their deaths the Coroner, Olivia Davidson, heard evidence that the pair had been subject to years of abuse from local teenagers who lived nearby and were, at times, literally under siege in their own home. In the year of her death Mrs Pilkington had made 13 calls to various agencies regarding the abuse she and her daughter were suffering and the inquest jury found that Mrs Pilkington killed herself and her daughter "due to the stress and anxiety regarding her daughter's future, and ongoing antisocial behaviour".

An extreme case, possibly, but certainly one which prompted all authorities to take a long hard look at how they deal with anti-social behaviour.

What is Anti-social Behaviour?

We hear a lot about "Anti-Social Behaviour" in the papers and on television and it is one thing that always features highly when the public are asked what concerns them the most in the area they live. But, what is anti-social behaviour, and what can you do if it is effecting your life?

The term anti-social behaviour is a broad one, and covers many things. If the conduct or behaviour of others has a detrimental effect on the quality of your life, or the lives of your neighbours, that behaviour can be considered to be anti-social. Often small things can have big impacts on our lives, and this is never truer than with ASB.

The Government cite these as examples of ASB:

  • rowdy, noisy behaviour
  • "yobbish" behaviour
  • vandalism, graffiti and fly-posting
  • dealing or buying drugs on the street
  • fly-tipping rubbish
  • aggressive begging
  • street drinking
  • setting off fireworks late at night

"Anti-social behaviour doesn't just make life unpleasant. It holds back the regeneration of disadvantaged areas and creates an environment where more serious crime can take hold."

(Crown Copyright and reproduced by kind permission of the Home Office.)

But anti-social behaviour goes beyond this.

Loud music late at night, groups of young people hanging around outside your home, young people drinking in the bus shelter opposite your house, constantly barking dogs, persistently revving cars, even overly vocal love making have all been considered to be anti social.

If it’s regular, constant, and affects the quality of your life, it's worth checking to see if something can be done about it.

Unlike crime, which is often perpetrated by someone we don't know, ASB is usually the result of behaviour by someone we do know, someone local, often our own neighbours, and that makes it easier to deal with.

Don't suffer in silence

There are plenty of agencies who can help if you are the victim of ASB.

Central Bedfordshire Council is part of a group called the "Community Safety Partnership" The Government has made it a statutory responsibility for certain groups to be members of CSP's and while those groups have to be members, many other groups and organisations are also in the Partnership simply because they can contribute to its aims of making where you live a safer, better place.

Besides Central Bedfordshire Council, some of the statutory members of the Central Bedfordshire CRP are:

  • Bedfordshire Police Authority
  • Bedfordshire Police
  • Bedfordshire & Luton Combined Fire Authority
  • Bedfordshire Primary Health Care Trust
  • Bedfordshire Probation Trust

Joined by other agencies, and working together, the CSP has the responsibility to reduce crime and disorder, and this includes anti-social behaviour.

Central Bedfordshire CSP showed their commitment to tackling ASB by publishing a set of service standards, which lay down in black and white exactly what they will do, as a minimum, in every single case, and what you can do if they fail to meet those criteria.

This is what those standards say:

"Tackling anti-social behaviour is an important part of our work as we recognise that both individuals and communities can suffer greatly from its effects. We have agreed a set of minimum standards a victim can expect when reporting an incident of anti-social behaviour. These minimum standards describe the minimum level of service a victim can expect. They have been devised to support the Police Pledge, the Code of Practise for Victims of Crime and the Witness Charter."

To help you understand the Bedfordshire Policing Pledge, The Witness Charter and the Code of Practice for Victims, we have reproduced them here.

Witness Charter

Policing Pledge

Code of Practise for Victims

Anti-social Behaviour Minimum Standards

  1. To treat all victims and witnesses fairly, with dignity and with respect. All reported incidents of anti-social behaviour will be taken seriously and a multi agency approach will be adopted where appropriate. We will record and investigate all cases.
  2. Acknowledge reports of anti-social behaviour within one working day. A full response will be given within five working days, or if this is not possible, an explanation will be provided, saying why and when a full response will be made. The individual will be given an outline of what action is proposed.
  3. Provide victims with a designated point of contact; victims will be kept informed about their case within realistic time scales agreed with them.
  4. Offer appropriate support to victims of anti-social behaviour. This may include a referral to the Victim Support scheme, which can assist in dealing with other organisations, and through their Witness Service, assist and accompany the victim if attending Court.
  5. In cases of anti-social behaviour involving more than one agency, work within the guidance set out by the Central Bedfordshire Community Safety Partnership Anti Social Behaviour Framework; this will set out the arrangements for better "joined up" working.
  6. Ensure there are effective links between neighbourhood policing and other local partners to deal swiftly with the problems.
  7. Provide regular updates as to how problems involving anti-social behaviour, raised as concerns in the community, have been dealt with. This will happen on a quarterly basis, or more frequently where possible. ASBO's or other orders obtained through the Courts will be published proportionately.
  8. Reduce the perceived levels of anti-social behaviour in the communities of Central Bedfordshire. The partnership is committed to increasing public confidence in how anti-social behaviour is tackled.
  9. Empower local communities to take ownership of their neighbourhoods, identify priorities and be part of a problem solving solution.
  10. Deliver the best service we can and welcome feedback. If we fail to meet the standards we have set we commit to giving an explanation about why it was not possible on that occasion. Where an individual is still not satisfied, they may refer the matter to the Community Safety Partnership for further consideration.

By any standards, that is a comprehensive level of minimum service.

What action should you take?

So, what can you do if your neighbourhood, or you as an individual, are the victim of ASB?

Often, people don't realise that their behaviour is a nuisance to others. A neighbour who plays music too loud may not realise that it is an issue to those around them. If you keep your volume down they won't have heard anything from your house and may assume that you can't hear their noise, so tell them.

Don't be rude or aggressive and listen to what they say, but make them aware that it is a problem to you. If they become rude, abusive or aggressive, walk away.

If you don't want to speak to them face to face, write a note or letter and put it through their door and keep a copy of what you have said.

Very often this will solve the problem and once aware that they are causing a nuisance to others, the person will moderate their behaviour.

If that doesn't work...

Keep a diary

Make a record of exactly what the behaviour is and when it happens. This information will be useful if the matter requires investigation, especially if the behaviour follows a regular pattern.

Tell someone

If you don't report it, no one can help, so the first thing is to let someone know.

Who should you tell?

The Relevant Agency

You can, if you want, go straight to the relevant agency.

If school children are hanging around outside your house after school, you can contact the school direct.

If you think a local shop is selling alcohol to underage children and that is leading to problems, you can contact the Trading Standards Department direct.

If it's a problem with noise, loud music, barking dogs, you can go straight to the Environmental Health Unit.

(As noise and noise pollution is a big source of ASB, the Central Bedfordshire Environmental Health Department have published a separate protocol document dealing with this issue and how they can help you. It is subject to copyright and is reproduced on BEST Advice by kind permission of Central Beds Council Just click on the link to read it.)

Noise Protocol

The Police

One person you can tell is your local neighbourhood Policing officer. A call to Bedfordshire Police will direct you to your local Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team and either a Police Officer or Community Support Officer will call round and discuss the problem with you. Usually they will visit the person, highlight the issue and advice them to moderate their behaviour. The Officer will also give you their own contact details, should you need to contact them direct. They won't tell the person who has reported the matter.

If the problem persists, they can forward your case to the relevant Partnership agency for further action.

For example, if you live in a flat and a neighbour persistently causes a fire hazard by leaving rubbish in the stair wells, or blocking the exits, the Police could forward the case the Fire Service Community Fire Safety Department.

If it's a noise issue, they could forward it to the Environmental Health Department. If you think someone who lives close to you is dealing in drugs and that is bringing in undesirable characters to your area, well, we think the Police would probably take a keen interest in that particular problem themselves.

Regardless of who you contact, one agency will be sure to be informed of your problem, or alternatively, you can approach them direct as your first point of contact.

Central Bedfordshire Council Anti-Social Behaviour Unit

Based at the new Council offices at Chicksands, near Shefford, this group co-ordinate all the agencies who tackle ASB, and their approach is a very proactive one.

Graham Caves, who heads up the unit told BEST Advice:

"We can help, we will help. As a Council and as an ASB unit we pride ourselves on giving a high level of service delivery and trying to resolve a problem quickly and effectively. Whether you go an agency direct, speak to the Police or come straight to us, as soon as we hear about it we will record it and ensure it is investigated."

What will the Community Safety Partnership do?

Every problem is different and as a result each one will be addressed differently, but it will be addressed. Here are some of the ways ASB can be addressed.

Inform, educate and advise

As we said earlier in this section, sometimes people just don't realise that what they are doing is causing a problem. A group of teenagers hanging around in the bus stop outside your house could simply be talking about their entrance applications to University, football or girls, and pose no threat or danger. However, their presence could be seen as intimidating and might worry an elderly couple so much they won't go out while they are there. A quiet word from the Police could well solve the problem.

Once people become aware their behaviour is unacceptable to others, dangerous or potentially illegal, they often stop.

Arbitrate

This is another frequently used method and talking to both parties often identifies common ground which will allow an amicable solution to be found.

For example if a neighbour has a child who wants to be the next drummer with "The Who" and practises every evening an arbitrated solution could be that, yes they can practise, but only on certain days and at certain times.

Monitor

The ASB Unit are in an ideal position to monitor problems and to ensure that if action is required all the available evidence has been correctly gathered to support it.

Coordinate - The joined up approach.

Again the ASB Unit can co-ordinate a multi agency approach if one is required. While the Police may be needed to deal with one aspect of the problem, the ASB Unit can ensure that other agencies become involved and act swiftly to deal with issues involving them.

For example, if the problem is rowdy behaviour stemming from a public house at closing time, the Police might lay on extra patrols to tackle the effect, while the ASB Unit would liaise with the Landlord, the Brewery or the Licensing Authority to deal with the cause.

Many tenancy agreements, both Council and private, now have clauses which cover anti-social behaviour, so if the problem is coming from a rented house or flat, the ASB unit can liaise with the owner to get these ASB clauses enforced.

This often leads to landlords, property owners (or the management agents acting on their behalf) refusing to renew leases if a tenant has breached an anti-social behaviour clause.

Enforcement

Rarely required due to the success of the other methods, and usually a last resort only sanctioned after all else has failed.

If someone simply won't listen or moderate their behaviour the law now provides a raft of legislation which the Partner agencies can use to effect a solution.

For example, if a shop or other licensed premises continues to fuel local anti-social behaviour by selling alcohol to underage youths, the Trading Standards Department can gather the required evidence and take the matter to Court. The evidence of anti-social behaviour will be heard by the Court who can impose heavy fines and have the stores license to sell alcohol suspended or withdrawn completely.

The ASB Unit can affect the issuing of acceptable behaviour contracts or parenting contracts which come with sanctions if they are breached. They can also instigate Court action and the consequences for those involved in committing anti-social acts who end up before the Courts can be serious. The Court can order the confiscation of property (such as a stereo if it's causing a noise nuisance), premises closure where a continuous nuisance is being caused or persistent offences are being committed, fines and anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs), which carry an enforceable punishment if they are breached.

So, lots can be done to help you if you are the victim of ASB.

Useful Contacts

To contact some of the agencies mentioned in this section of BEST Advice use the links and numbers below.

Always tell the operator where you live and exactly what the problem is and they will connect you to the right department.

We would also highly recommend a visit to the Children's Safety Education Foundation website which contains a massive amount of information on a wide range of topics and issues which effect parents, carers and children.