St Albans City and District Council is reviewing its approach to anti-social behaviour and has put together a short survey to obtain residents’ views on key aspects of the proposed new policy.
The Council works in partnership with the police and other agencies to tackle aspects of anti-social behaviour including drug dealing, noisy neighbours and anti-social drinking in public places.
We are looking at making a number of changes to the way we respond to reports of anti-social behaviour from members of the public and have revised our policy. The proposed new policy can be accessed online on the Council's website.
One of the key changes being proposed is that the Community Protection Team will undertake an assessment of the risks faced by people who have witnessed acts of anti-social behaviour. If the assessment shows a high risk, additional support and guidance will be provided.
The proposed policy also sets out clearly which council department is responsible for dealing with the different types of anti-social behaviour, making it easier for residents to report incidents and for officers to respond efficiently.
We want to find out what residents think of key aspects of the policy and have put together a short five-question survey which can be completed on the Council’s website or via www.surveymonkey.com/s/ASBPolicy2012.
If residents prefer, a paper questionnaire and pre-paid reply envelope is available on request from Carol Almond on 01727 819538.
Perceptions of how the Council and the police are handling anti-social behaviour in the District have improved in recent years. The Council’s Community Survey, published in 2011, showed that 52% of residents agreed that the local Council and police successfully deal with local concerns about anti-social behaviour and crime issues. This was a 24% improvement on figures published in the Place Survey in 2008.
Cllr Beric Read, Portfolio Holder for Community Engagement and Localism at St Albans City and District Council, said: “The Council’s wants to continue to improve the way it handles cases of anti-social behaviour. As a result, we are reviewing our approach and would like to find out residents’ views on our proposed policy. We recognise that some behaviour can have a negative impact on people’s lives and we want to be sure we are handling cases in the right way. If you are concerned about anti-social behaviour in the District, please complete the survey and give us your views. ”
Member contact:
Cllr Beric Read, Portfolio Holder for Community Engagement and Localism at St Albans City and District Council
Mob tel: 07956 220264
Contact for the press:
Amanda Wilkinson,
Media and Internal Communications Officer
St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727 819317
E-mail: amanda.wilkinson@stalbans.gov.uk
www.stalbans.gov.uk
Notes:
The proposed policy outlines the Council’s approach for tackling the following types of anti-social behaviour (ASB):
- Drug dealing/use
- Violence and threats of
- Disorder affecting several households
- Threats to staff
- Serious criminal activity eg. Multi-Agency Public Protection arrangements
- Anti-social rough sleepers and street drinkers
- Responding to Police and other intelligence
- Anti-social vehicle use
- Amplified music
- Ball games
- Noisy pets
- Car repairs
- Neighbour disputes
More information about the Council’s approach to anti-social behaviour is available on its website.