The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, has streamlined the powers for the police, local authorities, NHS and social landlords to deal with anti-social behaviour.
The new act places many existing powers into distinct sections. These are:
Civil Injunction
This in an injunction to prevent anti social behaviour that causes nuisance or annoyance and the injunction can be issued on the balance of probabilities and can be used to prevent someone from doing something or to cause them to do something. This is likely to be used for the more serious cases.
Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO)
This is available on conviction for any criminal offence in any criminal court. The order is aimed at tackling the most serious and persistent offenders where their behaviour has brought them before a criminal court.
Dispersal Power
This is a flexible power which the police can use in a range of situations to disperse anti-social individuals and provide immediate short-term respite to a local community. The power is preventative as it allows an officer to deal instantly with someone’s behaviour and nip the problem in the bud before it escalates.
Community Protection Notice
Designed to tackle the behaviour that has a detrimental effect on the quality of life in the locality and is persistent and ongoing.
Community Protection Order (Open Spaces)
The public spaces protection order (referred to as the community protection order (public spaces)) is intended to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a particular area that is detrimental to the local community’s qualify of life.
Community Protection Order (Closure)
Closure of premises associated with nuisance or disorder.
Early Intervention
Early intervention, especially through informal approaches, can be successful in stopping the anti-social behaviour committed by the majority of perpetrators.
Early and informal interventions can reinforce the message that anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated. In many cases, awareness of the impact of their behaviour on victims, and the threat of more formal enforcement tools, can be a sufficient incentive for an individual to change their behaviour
Informal interventions should be considered first in most cases, particularly when dealing with young people, as they can stop bad behaviour before it escalates. This should be determined by professionals on a case by case basis.
Community Trigger
Since 20th October 2014 any member of the public can activate a review into instances of anti-social behaviour that have been reported on at least three separate occasions within a six-month period, where they consider that no action has been taken.
In order to activate the community trigger, please contact Staffordshire Police on 101 and they will log your call and ensure that the process is started.
You will be asked for your;
- Name date of birth and Address
- Time date and day of offences
- Frequency of the incidents
- Number of times reported and any incident numbers
- Names of any agency that has visited
- Name and address of alleged perpetrator
- Name of person and organisation reported to
- Action taken
- Why you consider that no action has been taken
Once the request has been processed a multi-agency panel will decide if the request fits the criteria and if so will review the case and make any recommendations that are necessary. At the conclusion of the process you will be advised of the outcome.
You can also contact us on 01283 50800 and we can pass on the request to Staffordshire Police.