Anti-social behaviour
Suffolk is a safe county to live in. However, we are not immune from anti-social behaviour (ASB) and for many communities it is a real concern.
We are a member of a Community Safety Partnership (CSP). We have agreed minimum standards of service which will be provided to victims and witnesses of ASB.
We will not tolerate ASB. The minimum standards of service form our promise to help keep Suffolk a safe place to live, work and visit.
What is anti-social behaviour?
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 defines ASB as someone acting in a way that '...caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household'.
Examples of ASB include:
- shouting, swearing and fighting
- verbal abuse
- intimidation of neighbours - through threats, or actual violence
- littering and fly-tipping
- vandalism
Report anti-social behaviour
Being a victim of or witnessing ASB can be very distressing and upsetting. We want to tackle it - in all its forms - so you need to tell us about it, when it happens.
Suffolk is a safe county to live in. However, we are not immune from anti-social behaviour (ASB) and for many communities it is a real concern.
We are a member of a Community Safety Partnership (CSP). We have agreed minimum standards of service which will be provided to victims and witnesses of ASB.
We will not tolerate ASB. The minimum standards of service form our promise to help keep Suffolk a safe place to live, work and visit.
Being a victim of or witnessing ASB can be very distressing and upsetting. We want to tackle it - in all its forms - so you need to tell us about it, when it happens.
We want you feel confident in the service you will receive from us. Our minimum standards of service will define our response.
We will take you seriously.
In an emergency, you should always call 999. An emergency is:
- when a crime is happening
- when someone suspected of a crime is nearby
- when someone is injured, being threatened or in danger
To report ASB (or a crime, when it is not an emergency), you can also call 101.
To report an issue within your community, please contact your local safer neighbourhood team.
What would not be considered as anti-social behaviour
Behaviour that would not generally be considered as unreasonable or is a result of lifestyle differences is not considered anti-social behaviour and will not be dealt with under this Policy. This may include, but is not limited to, the following examples:
- Babies crying
- Cooking odours (although this may be considered an issue when odours come from mixed residential / business use properties)
- Normal behaviour occurring at unusual times due to different working patterns, provided that the resident is attempting to keep disturbance to a minimum
- One-off celebrations (although this can depend on the noise volume)
- Clash of lifestyles including cultural differences
- Children’s play
- Noise transference from one property to another
Why should I report anti-social behaviour?
We know that being a victim of or witness to ASB can cause stress and upset. We want to tackle it in all its forms, so we need you to tell us when it happens.
We want you to feel confident in the service you will receive from your CSP. Our minimum standards of service will define our response.
We will ensure that we deal with your case in a timely, supportive and professional way.
If you are suffering as a result of ASB, you can expect your CSP to treat the problem seriously.
What can I do if I have previously reported the issues?
If you have already reported ongoing anti-social behaviour (ASB) to either:
- the police
- your district or borough council
- your housing provider
and you feel that no action has been taken to resolve it, you can activate the ASB Case Review (formerly known as the 'Community Trigger'). This is a request for us to review your case. You can visit our ASB Case Review webpage to learn more.
How we use your information
Please read our anti-social behaviour privacy policy.