East Suffolk Council

Posted by on 20 July 2021 | Comments

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) can have a devastating impact on its victims and the wider community. That is why the Safer Stronger Communities Board continues to prioritise tackling ASB across Suffolk and will be taking part in the first national Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness week, between 19 and 25 July 2021.

Anti-social behaviour is a broad term used to describe the day-to-day incidents of crime, nuisance and disorder that can make many people’s lives a misery - from littering and vandalism to public drunkenness or noisy and abusive neighbours. Such a wide range of behaviour means that responsibility for dealing with anti-social behaviour is shared between several agencies, particularly the police, councils, and housing providers.

The week of action will bring together people and organisations from across the country to make a stand and work together to make communities safer. Partners will use this as an opportunity to promote the use of Community Triggers, also known as ASB Case Reviews.

The community trigger gives victims and communities a say in the way that complaints of anti-social behaviour are dealt with. As we work in partnership to achieve a consistent approach to tackling ASB, any victim, regardless of where they live in the county can request a review of an agency’s response to the anti-social behaviour they reported where they feel they did not get a satisfactory response. A threshold does need to be met for a review to be eligible.

East Suffolk's Communities Team will be out and about across the district during the week, with Suffolk Police representatives to speak to people about reporting ASB. 

Ian Gallin, Suffolk Chief Officer Team-Community Safety Lead said: “Everyone has the right to feel safe in their own homes and neighbourhoods. In Suffolk we are fortunate to have low levels of crime however we know that the impact anti-social behaviour can have on its victims and the wider community. That is why we are joining the week of action and will be re-launching the ASB Community Trigger (ASB Case review) in Suffolk. We are very positive about re-launching the ASB Community Trigger as it’s a real opportunity for victims to be heard and understand more about what is being done to help, and as a result gain greater confidence in the agencies involved”.

Reporting ASB

• You can report ASB by calling 101 or contacting your local Safer Neighbourhood Team if the offence has happened and the offender is no longer present.
• You should dial 999 when life is threatened or people are injured or there is a crime in progress and an immediate Police response is necessary.
• Information about people who commit crime or anti-social behaviour can be reported to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 (you do not have to give your name and address if you do not want to and calls are free).

You can also help by reporting incidents and sharing information with us so that the most appropriate action can be taken at an early stage, using our online reporting form.