Anti-Social Behaviour
'Anti-social behaviour' has a very broad definition. It includes many types of activity that are anti-social in nature and includes behaviour that may or may not be criminal, but which seriously impairs the quality of life of local people. Anti-social behaviour can mean different things to different people from serious acts of violence to noise from neighbours, litter or graffiti.
In the most recent British Crime Survey, respondents named vandalism and property damage as the most serious anti-social behaviour issues in their area. Environmental crime can include:
- Fly-Tipping: dumping household or commercial rubbish in private or communal areas
- Littering: deliberately dropping litter on the streets
- Graffiti: spray painting, or otherwise marking private property or communal areas (bus shelters & houses)
- Vandalism: damaging private property or communal facilities like telephone boxes or playground equipment
Other issues that fall under the definition of anti-social behaviour include:
- Intimidation/harassment
- Drunkenness and underage drinking and illegal sales of alcohol
- Public drug dealing
- Criminal damage or deliberate damage to private property
- Neighbour noise
- Noise and disturbance in the street
- Unsolicited doorstep calls from dishonest traders
- Abandoned and burnt out cars
- Animal related nuisance eg. dog fouling, noise from barking
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 defines anti-social behaviour as 'acting in a manner which causes, or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household (as the perpetrator).
Differing acts of anti-social behaviour may or may not be criminal, but certainly includes behaviour that puts people in fear of crime.
The Mid Beds Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership has funded a full time project worker since February 2003 to co-ordinate multi-agency activity relating to individuals perpetrating anti-social behaviour. The Anti-Social Behaviour Reduction Co-ordinator organises multi-agency case conferences and instigates Anti-Social Behaviour Contracts (ABC's) and Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBO's) where there is multi-agency support for it.
The work is an integral part of the current Mid Beds Crime, Drugs and Anti-Social Behaviour Reduction Strategy 2005-2008.
Please click on the following links for more information on Anti-Social Behaviour:
Please contact the Council's Customer Services Team by telephone on 08452 304040 or by email on customer.services@midbeds.gov.uk for further information and assistance.
