Community safety 

Antisocial behaviour 

• What is antisocial behaviour? 

  Section 1 (1) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 defines antisocial behaviour as acting in an antisocial way that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm, distress or is a nuisance to anyone else.

  Examples of antisocial behaviour

  • Nuisance neighbours
  • Rowdy and nuisance behaviour
  • Vandalism, graffiti and fly-posting and dog fouling
  • People dealing and buying drugs on the street or alcohol abuse
  • People dumping rubbish, fly tipping and abandoning cars
  • Begging and antisocial drinking
  • The misuse of fireworks
  • Playing music too loud
  • Using or threatening violence
  • Racist behaviour

  Part 2 of the Antisocial Behaviour Act 2003 came into force on 30 June 2004, and focuses on social housing, whilst giving new powers to social landlords to tackle antisocial behaviour.

  A requirement of this Act is that all social landlords must produce and publish an antisocial behaviour policy and summary.

  We are committed to challenging and stamping out every kind of antisocial behaviour, from noise nuisance in our homes to the appalling consequences of hate crime and discrimination.

  Our Antisocial Behaviour Strategy outlines our commitment to tackling antisocial behaviour and sets out our aims, attitude and general approach to combating the problem.

  We also outline procedures which will be used when dealing with antisocial behaviour.

   

• Reporting antisocial behaviour 

  As a local authority, we know that victims of antisocial behaviour are scared to report incidents for fear of reprisals.

  Complaints of antisocial behaviour will be treated in the strictest confidence and we have experienced staff that will support you throughout the whole process.

  You can report antisocial behaviour by:

  • Contacting Barking and Dagenham Direct on 020 8215 3010
  • Emailing the Antisocial Behaviour Team via: 3000direct@lbbd.gov.uk
  • Contacting your Police Safer Neighbourhood Team
  • Contacting the Community Housing Partnership Offices at 020 8227 5777 or participation@lbbd.gov.uk

  Don't forget to tell us who is affected, how they are affected, where it happens and when it happens.

   

• What you can do to help 

  • Keep a diary, photographs, video or tape recordings of any of the incidents
  • Keep a record of others who may have witnessed the incidents
  • Always report incidents to the police or us

  Antisocial behaviour diary sheet
  In order for us to take action against people involved in antisocial behaviour it is important for us to gather evidence. One method that we use to do this is diary sheets.

  These diary sheets are to keep a record of the antisocial behaviour you are witnessing. Detail as much information as possible including dates and times and the effect the behaviour had on you.

   

• What we will do to help 

  • We will contact you quickly to inform you that we are looking into the case
  • If the case cannot be rectified easily, we will arrange to meet you at your home, in the housing office or somewhere convenient for you within 2 working days
  • A list of actions will be drawn up detailing what is needed from you and what we will do to help to resolve the problem. The case is now a partnership - we are working for you, but you must help us by keeping to your side of the action plan
  • We will need evidence (diary, photographs, video or tape recordings) to support the case and may need to interview witnesses
  • After conducting this visit, the investigator is able to establish without any doubt that antisocial behaviour has occurred, the Antisocial Behaviour Investigator will contact the perpetrator within 1 working day
  • The Antisocial Behaviour Investigator will speak to witnesses within 5 working days
  • The Antisocial Behaviour Investigator will interview the alleged perpetrator within 7 working days
  • Having evaluated all the evidence, the Antisocial Behaviour Investigator will decide on a course of action within 10 working days
  • A form of action will then be decided upon whether this is to be:
    • Acceptable Behaviour Contract - a voluntary agreement between the perpetrators and us to stop the behaviour
    • Parental Contracts - a voluntary agreement between the parent and us to affect parental control over their child's behaviour
    • Good Neighbour Contracts - a voluntary agreement between the perpetrator and neighbour to stop the antisocial behaviour
    • An injunction - a legal order that instructs the perpetrator to stop acting antisocially
    • Demoted tenancy - a step that strips the perpetrator of their tenancy rights

  Antisocial behaviour protocol
  This document sets out the procedure to be followed when considering and applying for an Antisocial Behaviour Order (ASBO) in the borough, other than an Order made ancillary to a criminal conviction (a 'Bolt-On ASBO').

  Crack house protocol
  This document explains the 'Crack House' Closure of Premises Protocol between us, Barking and Dagenham Police, Customer Services Department and Barking and Dagenham Registered Social Landlords - Antisocial Behaviour Act 2003.

   

• Antisocial behaviour and demoted tenancies 

  A demoted tenancy is a new initiative designed to help tackle antisocial behaviour.

  It allows a tenant who has committed antisocial behaviour time to correct their behaviour instead of being faced with eviction immediately.

  If a tenant commits antisocial behaviour we can go to court and ask for a demotion to someone's tenancy which effectively makes any further breach to their conditions of tenancy punishable with eviction.

   

• Antisocial behaviour service charter 

  Antisocial behaviour is 'any behaviour that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress'.

  It can be anything from low-level persistent nuisance to serious, sometimes violent, behaviour. It includes behaviour that harms residents' quality of life in and around their homes.

  We recognise that antisocial behaviour is a problem which affects the quality of life of individuals, families and communities.

  This web page tells you what services we will offer when you report antisocial behaviour to us. The agencies who have agreed to these service standards are listed below.

  We have agreed these service standards to make sure that you are given a similar service regardless of who deals with your complaint.

  If you have an antisocial behaviour complaint you can contact your landlord (if you have one) or the Council Antisocial Behaviour Team. If you wish to report a crime, please contact the police (0300 123 1212). In an emergency always dial 999.

  Contact details for all the agencies signed up to this agreement can be found at the bottom of this web page.

  To deal with antisocial behaviour effectively we will:

  • Work together to identify and respond to antisocial behaviour where the issues cannot be tackled by one agency on their own
  • Use a range of legal and non-legal remedies to deal with antisocial behaviour, taking an approach that is appropriate to each case
  • Make sure that we are using appropriate enforcement by monitoring the use of enforcement tools across all the agencies signed up to this agreement
  • Aim to keep the community advised of the work we are doing to deal with antisocial behaviour in their area

  To support you we will:

  • Offer clear advice and support when you report an incident
  • Take your complaint seriously and investigate it
  • Give you the details of the named officer or police team who will be dealing with your case
  • Contact you within 3 working days to agree with you how we plan to deal with your complaint (24 hours for domestic violence, harassment or hate related incidents). This may be 5-7 working days in the case of Metropolitan Homes
  • Give you diary sheets where you can record any (additional) problems, and tell you how to fill them in
  • Make you aware of practical support on offer through the Safer Homes Project, the Sanctuary Project and others
  • Arrange for any abusive, obscene or threatening graffiti to be removed within 7 hours if reported to the Council. If the graffiti is reported and removed by your landlord this will be done within 24 hours
  • Offer you additional support and practical help you if you act as a witness for us in court

  To make sure that we are providing a good standard of service we will:

  • Ask our service users what they think of the services they have been given
  • Publicise results from satisfaction surveys (but maintain confidentiality)
  • Use the information we gather through satisfaction surveys to improve our services

  If you are not happy with the service you receive:
  We will investigate any complaints about the service we have provided according to our individual policy. The contact details for all the agencies are listed below.

  If you have contacted the agency you have been dealing with and are still not satisfied you can also raise your concerns with the Safer Borough Board.

  The Safer Borough Board is the partnership group responsible for making the borough a safer place. To raise an issue with the Safer Borough Board please email sbb@lbbd.gov.uk.

  For further information:
  Please contact one of the agencies below for further advice.

  • Police - In an emergency call 999. For non-emergency issues call 0300 123 1212
  • Barking and Dagenham Council - 020 8215 3010
  • Victim Support - 020 8595 4455
  • Circle Anglia - 0800 073 0417
  • Metropolitan Housing Trust - 0800 783 2399
  • East Homes - 0845 600 0830
  • Presentation Housing - 0845 880 0110

   

• Antisocial behaviour policy and procedures for council tenants 

  This document lays out how the Council as a landlord deals with anti-social behaviour.

  It describes how we will deal with anti-social behaviour directed towards or committed by our tenants, their visitors and members of their household.

  Antisocial behaviour policy and procedures for council tenants

   

• Acceptable Behaviour Contracts 

  An Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC) is a written agreement between you and your parent or guardian, and us and the police. By signing the contract you are agreeing that you will not act antisocially in the future. The contract tells you what type of behaviour you promise not to take part in.

  Why am I being asked to sign an Acceptable Behaviour Contract?
  You have been found to have acted in a way which has caused other residents harassment, alarm, nuisance or distress.

  We will not allow this type of behaviour and wants to make sure that you understand this. By signing the ABC you are showing that you understand what types of behaviour we/police will not allow.

  It is also a promise between you, your parent or guardian and the police and us that you will not act antisocially in the future. The contract also makes it clear what action will be taken against you or others, if you break the agreement.

  What happens if I break the contract?
  If you do something the contract does not allow, we may:

  1. Ask a Magistrates Court for an Antisocial Behaviour Order (ASBO) against you.

  An Antisocial Behaviour Order is an order made by a court which tells you what type of behaviour you must not take part in. If, after the court makes an ASBO against you, you do something which the court has told you that you should not do, you can be imprisoned for up to 6 months or be fined.

  2. Take legal action against the tenancy of someone who should be responsible for your behaviour.

  If the person you live with (or visit) rents their home from us, they have rules that they should follow called 'Conditions of Tenancy'. One of these rules is that the tenant of a Council property should make sure that everyone who lives with them or visits them behaves properly.

  If you do something which the Acceptable Behaviour Contract says you should not do, we may ask a court to take that persons home away from them. The Contract you are being asked to sign shows that you understand this.

  How long does the Acceptable Behaviour Contract last for?
  An ABC usually lasts for 6 months. However, if we and the police do not think that you have behaved properly during this time, the Contract time can be made longer.

  Where must I behave myself?
  You should not break the Acceptable Behaviour Contract anywhere in the borough.

  Who will be checking that I behave?
  A copy of the ABC will be kept by the police and us. You will have broken the agreement if either we or the Police get complaints about your behaviour. We will take action if these complaints are proved to be true.

  What happens if I will not sign the Acceptable Behaviour Contract?
  You do not have to sign the ABC. However, we and the police can still apply to court for an Antisocial Behaviour Order against you or take legal action against the tenancy of someone who is responsible for your behaviour.

  By signing the ABC you are showing that you understand what behaviour is expected from you in the future. This is also a chance for you to change your behaviour before further action (like an ASBO) is taken.

  Acceptable Behaviour Contract Form