🚔 Anti-Social Behaviour: What is it and Who Should I Report it to?

🚔 Anti-Social Behaviour: What is it and Who Should I Report it to?

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) can have a significant impact on individuals and communities. However, not every neighbourhood problem is a police matter, and reporting an issue to the correct organisation can help ensure it reaches the people best placed to deal with it.

❓ What is Anti-Social Behaviour?

ASB generally refers to behaviour which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to others, or behaviour which causes nuisance or has a detrimental impact on the local community.

It can include rowdy or inconsiderate behaviour, intimidation, vehicle nuisance, neighbourhood disturbances and other persistent behaviour affecting people's quality of life. 

It's also important to remember that some things commonly described as ASB, such as criminal damage, harassment or drug dealing, may actually be criminal offences and should be reported to the police. 

👮 Report to Staffordshire Police

Please report matters such as:

These can be reported to Staffordshire Police using the online ASB reporting service or by calling 101 for a non-emergency. 

If a crime is happening now, someone is in immediate danger or there is a threat of violence, call 999.

🏛️ Report to Staffordshire Moorlands District Council

Some environmental and neighbourhood problems are better dealt with by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, including:

The council provides an online reporting service and guidance to help residents identify which organisation is responsible: Staffordshire Moorlands District Council – Report ASB. 

🏠 Is it connected to a rented property?

If the behaviour involves a tenant or property managed by a housing association or other social landlord, you should also consider reporting the issue directly to the relevant housing provider.

Housing providers can investigate behaviour involving their tenants and consider what action may be appropriate under tenancy conditions. ASB issues are often dealt with through partnership working between police, housing, environmental health and other agencies. 

🛣️ Roads, pavements or street lighting?

Problems involving potholes, damaged roads or pavements, drainage, street lighting, traffic signals and certain highway obstructions should generally be reported to Staffordshire County Council through its Highways Report It service. 

🤔 What isn't necessarily ASB?

Not everything that causes annoyance or inconvenience will constitute anti-social behaviour.

Examples can include:

📱 Please keep reporting

If ASB is affecting you or your neighbourhood, don't assume somebody else has already reported it.

When making a report, try to provide:

For persistent problems, keeping a record of incidents and when they occur can be particularly helpful. 

✅ Not sure who to contact?

As a simple guide:

Crime, threatening behaviour or police-related ASB → Staffordshire Police

Noise, fly-tipping, abandoned vehicles and environmental nuisance → Staffordshire Moorlands District Council

Problems involving social housing/tenants → The housing provider

Highways, potholes and street lighting → Staffordshire County Council

Emergency or immediate danger → 999 

Your reports help agencies identify repeat problems, understand what is happening within our communities and take appropriate action. Please continue to report concerns to the organisation best placed to deal with them.