Anti-social Behaviour Policy 2025-2028 - ASB case management

Cases will only progress if they are of a persistent and significant, ongoing nature. In low level situations, complainants will be encouraged to try and resolve the situation themselves in the first instance. In most instances, perpetrators of ASB will be given the opportunity to improve their behaviour before the decision is made to take enforcement action.

However, it is necessary to balance the needs of the individual against the needs of the community. If it is essential to act to protect the needs of the community, we make every effort to ensure that this is both swift and effective.

Enquiries and cases will be allocated to a Community Safety officer. If an enquiry is progressed into a case investigation, the officer carrying out the enquiry will lead on the case investigation and any subsequent interventions and enforcement action to ensure an effective resolution to the case.

The process is designed to be flexible, so officers can skip parts of it or do things in a different order to protect witnesses and solve the problem. There may be occasions where an incident occurs that needs an urgent response and possibly legal action, for example violence or threats of violence.

We recognise that ASB can cause harm to a victim’s wellbeing. We take all reports we receive seriously and carry out a detailed risk assessment to make sure that a proportionate response is used.

There are several pieces of legislation that can be used to tackle ASB. Where we are the lead agency for a case, we will explore all options.