Anti-Social Behaviour and hate incidents
What is anti-social behaviour?
Anti-social behaviour covers a wide range of unacceptable activity which causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to other people, including behaviour which puts people in fear of crime.
Examples of anti-social behaviour include:
- Groups causing a nuisance
- Vandalism
- Noise nuisance
- Harassment and verbal abuse
- Misuse of communal areas
- Threats to an individual
- Hate Crime
- Pets causing a nuisance
Anti-social behaviour policy
We are committed to tackling anti-social behaviour in the neighbourhoods we manage. We have a range of tools and powers that we can use against those who cause anti-social behaviour.
We will investigate all reports of anti-social behaviour and work with our partners to resolve the problem. You have the right to live in your home without fear of intimidation, nuisance or harassment.
If you, members of your household, or visitors to your property are acting in an anti-social way then you are breaching of the terms of your tenancy or lease. Persistent acts of anti-social behaviour will lead to enforcement action being taken against you by the Council and/or police. More serious incidences could result in an injunction, or possession of your home.
How to report anti-social behaviour
If you are experiencing anti-social behaviour or are worried about nuisance activity where you live:
In a non-emergency, call the police on 101 to report crime. In an emergency always call 999.
The police can help with complaints about:
- Hate Crime
- Graffiti and fly-posting
- Drug use or dealing
- Street drinking
- Prostitution
- Fireworks misuse
How to report anonymously
If you wish to report anti-social behaviour but you do not want to be identified then please report online.
You will be directed to an anonymous reporting form on the council's website. These completed forms will be sent directly to our ASB team to record and investigate.
To report crime anonymously, you can also contact Crimestoppers on:
You do not have to give your name, and everything you say will be confidential.
What we will do
When you report anti-social behaviour to us, we will assess the nature of the problem before deciding the most appropriate action to take.
We will:
- Contact you within 1 working day for cases such as hate crime, threats of violence or aggression.
- Contact you within 2 working days for cases such as noise nuisance and or misuse of communal areas.
- Review and assess the details of the incident and assign the case to a relevant officer.
- Discuss the next steps, including the help and support available to you.
- Agree with you how and when we will update you throughout the investigation.
- Be open and honest about what we can do.
- Be realistic about the likely outcomes of any action we take – particularly legal action.
- Analyse the trends in ASB reports on council estates and deploy our Neighbourhood Patrol Team or Housing Management police accordingly.
All information provided to us is handled with the strictest of confidence.
What you must do
If you are experiencing neighbour nuisance, we will ask you to maintain a diary of events with key information such as; Time, Date, Location and Description of Disturbances. The officer assigned to your case will discuss the details of this diary sheet with you and agree the next steps.
Download the diary sheet.
You should report all instances of anti-social behaviour you experience or witness in your neighbourhood. Even if there is not enough evidence to act against the perpetrator(s), your report will be recorded and may help substantiate future cases, as well as aiding the ASB team in directing resources effectively.
If you have reported an ongoing problem of ASB, but do not believe it has been dealt with, you can ask the Community Safety Partnership to review your complaints (including incidents of hate) under the Community Trigger process.
The Community Trigger should only be used if no action has been taken as a result of repeat reporting to the council or police. It cannot be used to report general acts of crime.
Did you know?
In 2017, the Police introduced an ASB Warning system. Any individual found engaging in ASB is issued with an ASB Warning and their details are passed to the relevant landlord for follow up action. This may include a joint intervention visit to their home and referrals to support services.
This has proved to be an effective intervention, with the majority of individuals issued with an ASB Warning not coming to the attention of the Police again. Subject to supporting evidence, our ASB team may seek an injunction against any individual that disregards the ASB Warnings and continues to engage in ASB, causing nuisance to council residents.
We are more likely to be successful with any legal enforcement action if residents report details of any incidents of ASB they witness.
When we you report anti-social behaviour, we will assess the seriousness of the problem before deciding the most appropriate action to take.
We will contact you within
- 24 hours for high-risk cases: things like hate crime, violence, threats, serious tenancy breaches or severe damage to property
- 2 working days for medium-risk cases: things like rude offensive behaviour, non-serious damage to property, nuisance gatherings, nuisance noise, inappropriate use of public spaces, including stairwells
- 3 working days for low-risk cases: things like minor nuisance, domestic noise, neighbour nuisance and dogs barking
We will
- Ask questions about what has happened and how it has affected you
- Talk through the options with you, including help and support available to you
- Be open and honest about what we can do
- Be realistic about the likely outcomes of any action we take - particularly legal action
If you want our support, we will agree an action plan with you. We’ll write it down, so that you have a record of what was agreed. Your plan will depend on what has happened, but may include things like:
- You speaking with your neighbour (but only if you are comfortable with this step, and you feel it’s safe to do so)
- An ASB officer or Housing officer interviewing or writing to the perpetrator
- Mediation - a quick and cost effective way of resolving disputes without the need to go to court
- Asking Victim Support or other support agencies to help you
- You and other witnesses collecting more evidence so that we can get a clearer picture of what is happening
- In serious cases, starting legal action
Keeping in touch with you
We will keep you informed of how your case is progressing. Just tell us how and when you would like us to update you.
You can do a number of things to help tackle anti-social behaviour, whether you experience it yourself or you are concerned about anti-social behaviour in your neighbourhood.
If you have experienced or witnessed anti-social behaviour and you are not sure what to do, please talk to us first.
Talk to your neighbour
Before making a complaint or getting others involved, try to discuss the problem with your neighbour. Keep calm. Explain the problem clearly and stick to the facts. People are often unaware that they or someone in their household is causing a nuisance. If you’re worried about approaching them, write a letter explaining the problem. Again be clear and stick to the facts.
If the problem affects other neighbours, it may help to involve them as well. It can be easier to settle a dispute if the complaint comes from a number of people.
You could use a mediation service if talking to your neighbour doesn’t work. (Ask us for more information about this option.)
If you do not think it is safe, or if you feel uncomfortable approaching your neighbour – please talk to us first.
If you’ve been a victim of anti-social behaviour, you may get free help and advice from:
Victim support
Victim Support is an independent charity that offers:
- emotional support, e.g. coping with the after-effects of anti-social behaviour
- practical help - this can be as simple as providing help with filling out forms or getting broken doors and windows fixed
- advice on dealing with the police, if they need to be involved
- information and support if you go to court as a witness
Mediation
Mediation is an effective way of resolving disputes without the need to go to court. It involves an independent third party - a mediator - who helps both sides come to an agreement.
Repairs to your home
If you need repairs to your home, home security improvements, or rehousing because of anti-social behaviour, we may be able to help. If damage has occurred due to crime, you will need to give us the police crime number.
Family and friends
It may be helpful to get support from your family and friends too. They can listen, provide emotional and practical support and give you feedback.
Talk to us to find out more about these and other options.
We work in partnership with other organisations to help tackle anti-social behaviour in your neighbourhood. Our main partners are:
We've also signed up to the Respect ASB Charter for housing. The standard plays an important role in driving up performance in both preventing and effectively tackling anti-social behaviour.
Reporting a Hate Crime
Contact the Police to report a hate crime, in an emergency you should always call 999
- If it is not an emergency call 101
- If you have a hearing or speech impairment use the MPS Text Phone Service:
- For emergencies text 18000 to 999
- For non-emergencies text 18001 to 101
- Make an online report
- You can also report hate crime to our ASB on 020 7364 5015, Option 6
- You can also reach out to CATCH, a London based advocacy and support service
What is a hate crime?
Hate crime is any criminal offence where anyone believes the victim has been targeted because of their:
- disability
- race or ethnic identity
- religion/belief
- gender or gender identity
- sexual orientation
- age
- immigration status or nationality
- or any other actual or perceived difference.
Hate crime behaviours can include
- physical attacks – pushing and shoving to serious assaults
- verbal abuse – using derogatory or insulting words
- threatening behaviour, bullying and intimidation
- damage to property – including offensive graffiti
- harassment
- malicious communications – threatening or offensive mail, texts or emails
- damage to property and violence
- hate can also be directed at whole communities – for example, vandalism of places of worship, or offensive graffiti in public places.
What is a hate incident?
Hate incidents are incidents that do not constitute a criminal offence but cause alarm, distress or harassment where anyone believes the victim has been targeted because of their race, ethnicity, religion or belief, gender or gender identity, disability, age, sexual orientation or any other actual or perceived difference.
We work closely with the council, the police and other agencies to prevent all forms of hate crime, take action against offenders and support and protect victims. We encourage anyone who is the victim of, or witness to, hate crime to report it immediately.
This is vital to ensure that offenders are brought to justice – we will not tolerate hate crime.