What is anti-social behaviour?

Anti-social behaviour is any activity that impacts on other people in a negative way.

Anti-social behaviour is one of the main priorities for the Safer Arun Partnership. Everyone has a right to live in a clean and safe environment without other people impacting on their quality of life.

Anti-social behaviour can cover a diverse range of actions, behaviours and incidents, which can be seen or interpreted differently from person to person. To be classed as anti-social behaviour, it needs a clear pattern of behaviour over a period of time, serious enough to require the victims or community to need protection from further acts.

Isolated incidents cannot be classed as anti-social behaviour, nor can run of the mill disputes between neighbours or petty intolerance due to different lifestyles. For example, things such as not being able to park outside your own house or children playing (unless they are swearing and being intimidating) cannot be classed as anti-social. If you do have a dispute with your neighbour you can contact the West Sussex Mediation Service for help and advice.

How is Anti-Social Behaviour Tackled in Arun?

In Arun there is a dedicated Anti-Social Behaviour Team to ensure that all anti-social behaviour issues and concerns are dealt with in a co-ordinated way throughout the Safer Arun Partnership.

The Team consists of two Anti-Social Behaviour Caseworkers, one based in Littlehampton Police Station and one at Bognor Regis Police Station, who are responsible for developing the casework against those individuals identified as causing most harm within their communities. There is also an Early Intervention Caseworker covering the Arun District who deals mainly with young people engaged in low level offending or at risk of offending, warning them of the consequences of continuing disruptive behaviour and diverting them to more constructive and positive activities.

Anti-Social Behaviour Protocol

The Safer Arun Partnership has defined and agreed a process, set out in the Anti-Social Behaviour Protocol, with guidance on where to refer particular problems, how action is determined by the level of risk and impact on communities, and a summary of the tools and powers available to deal with the problems.

 

You have a right to expect the police, the council and other local agencies to make tackling anti-social behaviour a priority and to respond professionally. You can help to tackle problems in your neighbourhood by reporting anti-social when you see it. For more information look at Antisocial Behaviour Minumum Service Standards for Arun.

 

Tools and Powers

The Safer Arun Partnership uses a staged intervention process to deal with those identified as causing anti-social behaviour. This can ultimately culminate in an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) being taken out against individuals who haven’t responded to earlier interventions.

Arun District Council also has powers available to deal with issues such as noise, graffiti, littering, fly-tipping and abandoned vehicles; whereas the police can deal with incidents such as drunk and disorderly behaviour, damage to property, drug use and drug dealing.

How can I report an Anti-Social Behaviour Incident?

If you are suffering from anti-social behaviour in your area we want to hear about it. Your local authority and the police are working hard to tackle anti-social behaviour, but we can’t do it without you.

That’s why we have set up a dedicated anti-social behaviour 24-hour answerphone service on 0808 141 2800 (free from UK landlines), an email address - asb@arun.gov.uk and an online reporting form.

If you’ve witnessed or experienced anti-social behaviour in your area, one call from you will ensure that whatever’s bothering you will be investigated. YOU can make a difference. By tackling anti-social behaviour together, we can help make where you live a better place to live

 

You can find a list of other sources of help and advice regarding anti-social behaviour on our contacts page.