What is anti-social behaviour
There is no commonly agreed definition of what is meant by the term antisocial behaviour, however, for the purpose of the policy, the definition of antisocial behaviour is consistent with that used in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Act, 2014.
Section 2(1) of the Act defines the meaning of anti-social behaviour as:
- Conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to any person.
- Conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance to a person in relation to that person’s occupation of residential premises, or
- Conduct capable of causing housing related nuisance or annoyance to any person
The term anti-social behaviour (ASB) can be applied to a wide range of behaviours, impacting on a persons or community’s quality of life.
However, let us start with what is not ASB and will not be investigated by officers of the Borough Council’s Community Safety Team.
- Children playing in the street or in communal areas
- Young people gathering socially unless they are being intimidating
- Being unable to park outside your own home
- DIY and car repairs unless they are taking place at night
- Civil disputes between neighbours e.g. shared driveways
- One off complaints against noise e.g. parties
Examples of ASB
Anti-Social Behaviour may include but is not limited to the following:
- Noise
- Loud televisions and music
- Persistent, unnecessary or excessive noise
- Shouting or yelling
- Persistent alarms
- Excessively loud or frequent parties
- Dogs persistently barking
(Reports of noise may be passed to other departments in the Council to investigate as appropriate).
- Intimidation, harassment and violence
- Verbal or written abuse, which could also include social media posts
- Threats of violence
- Assault
- Damage to property
- Keeping or failing to control an aggressive dog
- Using or allowing the premises to be used for illegal activity such as prostitution, handling or storing drugs and handling or storing stolen goods
(Reports of intimidation, harassment and violence may be reported to the Police on your behalf or you may be advised to report it to the Police directly)
- Environmental ASB
- Dumping rubbish or littering
- Vandalism
- Dog fouling
- Graffiti
- Fly posting
- Abandoned vehicles
- Overgrown vegetation
(Reports of environmental ASB may be passed to other departments in the Council to investigate as appropriate).
- Other ASB issues:
- Malicious behaviour from your neighbour
- Drone use which causes alarm, harassment, or distress
- Boundary issues/overgrown hedges
If you are a Housing Association tenant, you may also wish to report any ongoing ASB issues to them directly as they are also able to take actions against persistent anti-social behaviour.