Agencies Ignore Victims of Anti-Social Behaviour at their Peril
Legislation is ignored and victims of anti-social behaviour continue to be held at arm’s length, a new report finds.
Work undertaken by charity ASB Help identifies numerous failing with the ASB Case Review, also called the ASB Case Review, introduced as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. This power was designed to empower victims, enabling them to insist on a multi-agency case review to get results and stop the behaviour that was having such a devastating attack on their lives.
In practice, however, the process is fraught with problems. The key issues are that:
- there is no-one taking overall ownership of the ASB Case Review or any aspect of anti-social behaviour from a victim perspective;
- the ASB Case Review is inaccessible and unknown meaning that many victims who would be entitled to activate it are unaware of its existence;
- there is great confusion over how to use the ASB Case Review with thresholds used that are contrary to the legislation; and
- the statutory guidance was quietly updated on Christmas Eve 2017 missing an opportunity to promote the ASB Case Review and continues to be ignored.
One victim’s experience shows the impact of repeat, persistent anti-social behaviour and the problem victims continue to have in getting results:
“It took me 28 months to finally get rid of my antisocial neighbour just before Christmas. The stress and sleep deprivation he caused wrecked my mental and physical health. It was easier for the authorities to just ignore me than do something about him.”
Jennifer Herrera, Chief Executive Officer of ASB Help said: “Paying more attention to victims of anti-social behaviour through effective usage of the ASB Case Review will give them the protection and support they deserve. Yet it also has the potential to identify perpetrators and embrace early intervention which could help stem the tide of knife crime and other serious crime. We are appalled at the way victims continue to be fobbed off by agencies and left to suffer in silence with a hugely detrimental effect on their quality of life.”
To read the full report: http://asbhelp-co-uk.stackstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ASB-Help-The-Community-Trigger.-Where-We-Are-Today.pdf
Ends
About ASB Help
ASB Help is a national UK charity seeking to assist victims of anti-social behaviour as to their rights – who they should report the anti-social behaviour to and crucially, what to do if they do not get a satisfactory response. The charity is represented on the Home Office Anti-Social Behaviour Strategic Board. To find out more about ASB help visit: http://asbhelp-co-uk.stackstaging.com/
For media enquiries, contact CEO Jenny Herrera, jherrera@asbhelp-co-uk.stackstaging.com 07703 453862
I agree, we seemed to be missing a trick here. It difficult enough trying to get the police involved in ASB cases and that’s for a number of reasons, cuts being one of them. However if….legislatively they have to become involved then it can only be a good thing and better for victims. Its also positive in that providers who are not geared up to deal with ASB properly can be steered and directed appropriately. From my personal experience at my current employer we work very well collaboratively with all external agencies but I have worked as a generic practitioner dealing with rent, allocations, tenancy management and ASB. One cannot hope to be victim focused in those circumstances
Hi
I wonder if you can tell me if there is community trigger in Scotland. I live in a council flat. A resident has moved in nearly two years ago now whose family visit and are very loud. Also her grandson committed criminal assault on his girlfriend at the property and criminal damage to his grandmother’s council flat door.
The grandson has been bailed to our block of flats to live with the gran as his mother is dead. He is causing distress to all the neighbours by loud noise,numerous visits by the Police and riding around on his gran’s motability scooter in the car park and road late at night.We are all pensioners and have reported numerous incidents to Police,Aberdeen City Council and the ASBO Team.Nobody is taking ownership of the problem or working collaboratively on the problem.When some neighbours complain to Aberdeen City Council Housing, they are asked if they wish to be rehoused.
We are not the problem.This tenant is the problem and her family.We are at our wit’s end and some nice people are moving out.What can we do?
We feel abandoned to deal with this ourselves
Hi Linda,
Sadly there is no ASB Case Review in Scotland but that does not mean Aberdeen Council should just be fobbing everyone off and offering to move them! Have you considered contacting your local Councillor or MP to get them to exert some pressure?
Many thanks
Jenny Herrera
ASB Help
i and my partner seem to be ignored by our housing landlord and the police and the PCSOs who are rude to us on entering our abode.
we have suffered now 3years plus of harassement from our neighbours[4 individulas].
this has come in the from of death threats,motioned that we will have our throats cut,verbal abuse,human urine thrown over our back fence and our front door dripping in it,dog poo in our front door and outside our front room,assaulted twice in back garden,heard that one individual offered £50 to have myself killed, plants in our front garden cut down,stolen items from front garden.
all incidents have been reported to police and our housing association NO ACTION taken.we have tablet evidence, CCTV evidence no action taken. what does it take.
i look after my ill partner and we feel we are getting lack luster performance.the police on one occation arrested one male after he threatend to stab and kill me while my partner was phoning the police.he was released as we have no CCTV.POLICE TOLD MY HE WAS A LOVELY MAN.
victim support have been as helpful as they can over the past 2 years.
the stress on myself and my partner is unbearable but we go on.what option do we have. we have needed help. none out there.
I am so sorry to hear you are having these problems. Have you tried using the community trigger? This is your right to request a review of your case. You can find more information about it here: http://asbhelp-co-uk.stackstaging.com/community-trigger
We recommend you try this and let us know how you get on as we work with the Home Office to ensure victim’s like you are getting the help they need from their local authority or police force.
A couple of months ago, we received a copy of meeting minutes from a community trigger request we had made with Greenwich Council regarding years of ASB and Criminal Damage to our house and car by pupils of the local Woolwich Polytechnic School For Boys.
The meeting (from reading the minutes), appeared to be a joke, as the school (who were actually invited to the meeting) could basically say what they liked, as I was not invited.
Suffice to say incidents of ASB are still continuing in so much as 8 separate incidents in the last 2-3 months.
Greenwich council and the school just do not care about victims of ASB.
What can I do now?
Hi Paul,
I am sorry to hear about your experience. If the problems are continuing, you can request another community trigger and provide a victim impact statement. You can request this is read out at the review meeting or ask to attend before the meeting commences so you can explain to the panel how the ASB is affecting you. The Council do not legally have to agree but i think it is worth making the request. Please ensure you log every incident of ASB/criminal damage with the police or council so there is a record. Please do let us know how you get on if you decide to request another community trigger or if you appeal the original one.
just applied for any advice when going forward ?
Have you asked the person managing your case for advice?
Hello since march 2019 we have had disruption from the house next door that was converted to flats, its owned by gwalia housing Pobl Pobl House, Phoenix Way, Llansamlet, Swansea SA7 9EQ, to which we have followed everything by book and won in court due to over 40 times police attendance and arrests and eviction order was placed in jan 2020 and they had to leave by for 9th march 2020 but again gwalia did nothing and tenant refused to leave on the 9th march.
Now the lock down and tenants are still here, but its now physical threats violence they encouraged the young boy and girl in down stairs flat to join in by continued disruption till most nights 1am-3am in morning.
We need help please
There are still emergency legal options available to landlords during the pandemic. They can ask a court to make an order to exclude people from a property where they present a serious risk of harm. It may be worth asking the person managing your case if this can be considered? Alternatively, you can potentially use the community trigger. Further information about this is available here: http://asbhelp-co-uk.stackstaging.com/community-trigger/
Please do call the Police to report all incidents and use 999 if there is an immediate risk to life or property.
Hi
we are having a problem with our landlord golding homes in maidstone kent we have been trying to get a drug dealer who moved into our street almost 18 months removed despite all our efforts and efforts from other tenants as well as the police who have even raided this dealers house back in January of this year the powers that be at golding homes have deemed it not necessary to evict him despite i would say almost 100 complaints to them and logging reports with kent police.
This dealer has even made threats to myself and other members of my family including our 16 year old daughter , vit despite all this golding homes seem to wanna turn a blind eye to his illegal activities and basically given him the green light to continue dealing from one of their properties.
regards
Carl Morgan
Dear Carl,
I am sorry to hear about the problems you are experiencing. Have you tried using the community trigger? This may be a good option available to you if you feel the anti-social behaviour you are experiencing has not resulted in any meaningful action by agencies. There is a threshold to be able to use the community trigger which is three incidents in 6 months. You must have reported each incident within 30 days of it taking place. Please see information about the community trigger here: http://asbhelp-co-uk.stackstaging.com/community-trigger/
If you face obstacles activating the community trigger then please get back in touch and we will see if we can assist you further
Thanks
ASB Help
Could someone please contact me. I was given your details by my case worker at Victim Support.
Hi,
We are a small charity and we can only provide a signposting service. Please email us at admin@asbhelp-co-uk.stackstaging.com if you have a specific enquiry. We will try to direct you to the most appropriate agency.
Thanks
I am at the end of my tether with no where to go and even as I write this I can already feel its just going to be another dead end. My plight is so horrific that I would not wish it on my worst enemies. Can you imagine being victimized by a Militant Group, being mobbed, discredited, slandered and defamed, friends lied to and brain-washed against me till I am totally isolated, hounded and harassed ceaselessly, humiliated, disrespected and abused at all known haunts, sabotaged and trolled and constantly being told to go kill yourself. All this and more is meted out to me daily, worse still is anywhere I seek help from are immediately corrupted and any resulting complaint or protest immediately garner the accusation that I am paranoid. Can you imagine my horror as I had already been warned by the perpetrators that this is exactly what will happen, that I am doomed and should just go kill myself. My ‘crime’ was standing up to a criminal family and declaring I was going to expose them, they responded that I was the foreigner in this country and I would be sent back to the jungle. These racist had Socialist militant connection and this horrendous inhumane, indictable campaign ensued. They broke up my marriage, hounded me out of jobs, sabotaged any relationship I make and corrupt any approaches for help. They crow about how extensive their grapevine is and prove that at all given opportunity. I have withstood this unbelievable nightmare because this is evil wicked intimidation, bullying and mobbing that should never happen in our civilized Nation. Yet it is happening, an innocent black man’s life is being ruined by people who say they are Anarchist in solidarity with criminals and racists. I am aware that all these may seem to fantastical to a lot, that’s actually the major reason that frustrates my search or help. You will believe all that’s being done to me, they will just conclude this is a paranoid person, this is a mental health case.(as already predicted by my tormentors) I assure you all I have stated is the truth, even though I have now been unemployed or a while and now suffer from Depression which is a direct consequence o all that is being done to my life and me. How can such a thing happen in this Nation.
Have you tried using the community trigger which is your statutory right to ask for a review of your case where no meaningful action has been taken to resolve the anti-social behaviour? There is a criteria which is usually that you have suffered three incidents in the last six months and you reported each incident to either the police, council or housing provider within 30 days of the incident taking place. You can find more information on how to use the community trigger here: http://asbhelp-co-uk.stackstaging.com/community-trigger/
You should also contact the Police with the concerns you raise which could be HATE offences which the Police have a responsibility to investigate.