Dealing with Anti-Social Behaviour If the evidence available confirms anti-social behaviour is taking place we will start to take action immediately. In very serious cases - where the victim is placed in danger - we'll move directly to legal action. But in most situations we'll take a step-by-step approach to try to persuade the guilty party to change their behaviour patterns. We will interview the perpetrator. (You can ask us not to do this, but it could then be difficult to take the case further). We will tell the guilty party if they fail to adjust their behaviour they risk facing legal action. This is enough to solve the vast majority of problems.
The initial steps
We will contact you as soon as possible to confirm we are going to investigate the case.We can sort out simple problems fairly easily. If you tell us about a litter problem we simply visit and check. We will tell the tenant, and take action against them for breaking their tenancy agreement if they don't. But most cases are not quite so simple. If anti-social behaviour is not straight forward, or if it's aimed directly at you - for example harrasment and abuse - we'll need to discuss it with you before we start an investigation.
Incident Diaries
In serious cases we'll start to investigate immediately. We'll ask you who is involved, how they are affected, where and when problems occur. We'll then ask you to complete incident diaries to record what is happening and when it takes place. We are now working on your behalf, but you must help us by keeping details of all problems.
Mediation
In some situations we could suggest talking over the problem with the other party involved. Sometimes a neighbour just needs reminding that their behaviour upset you. If the perpetrator acts unreasonably, you can walk away. Don't get involved in an argument. If you feel uneasy with this type of approach we could arrange the meeting for you, and also be in attendance to help you talk through the problem together. There is also a special independent mediation service that can help solve your dispute. We will hire expert advisers who can help find a solution that both parties are happy with. But if talking it through doesn't resolve the problem we may have to take legal action.
Legal Action
We cannot start formal action against anyone without evidence. The information recorded in the 'incident diary' is part of the evidence gathering process. We may need additional evidence, including noise recording, photographs or video. Sometimes we can arrange this for you, but if the incident happens suddenly it is better if you are able to record the details. We might have to interview other people who have also witnessed the problem. It could be difficult to take the case any further without independant witnesses.
Court Hearing
If the anti-social behaviour continues after a final warning - or if someone is in danger - we will start legal action straight away. We will ask the court to consider an application for:
- an Injunction - which is a legal order that instructs the guilty party to stop acting in an anti-social manner; or
- an Anti-Social Behaviour Order banning the guilty party from specific areas; or
- Obtain the courts permission to evict the guilty party if they are a tenant (A condition of the tenancy is that a tenant is responsible for their own behaviour and for the behaviour of anyone living with them or visiting their home).
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