Antisocial Behaviour
We all want to live a peaceful and pleasant life. A good neighbour is considerate of others and will tolerate and understand different lifestyles. Antisocial behaviour ranges from serious acts of violence and harassment to noisy dogs and overgrown gardens. Whatever the problem, we take all issues of antisocial behaviour seriously and will deal with it quickly.
Reporting antisocial behaviour
Reports of antisocial behaviour can be made by the person experiencing the problem or by a friend or relative. There are various ways to report antisocial behaviour:
- Complete our online form
- Telephone a member of our Quality of Life team on 01245 613000
- Visit our town centre office: Atholl House, 65a Duke Street, Chelmsford
- Send a letter, fax or email
- email Quality of Life team: qolonline@chelmerhp.org.uk
How CHP deals with antisocial behaviour
The law states that a tenant is responsible for their own behaviour and the behaviour of anyone living with them or visiting them. This is also in the tenancy agreement - the legal contract between us and our tenants. This means we can take action when a tenant is acting antisocially, and also if their children or their visitors are causing problems. We can also take action against people who have no connection with one of our tenants - as long as the antisocial behaviour happened in an area of our housing.
Letting us know
The simplest way to tell us about antisocial behaviour is to telephone or write to us. You can ask a friend or relative to report the problem for you. We will write to you to confirm that we are looking into the case. If the nuisance is noise related, you may wish to contact Chelmsford Borough Council on 01245 606659.
The first steps
If the problem is an obvious one, we may be able to sort it out easily. For example, if you tell us about an overgrown, rubbish-filled garden we can go round and check. We'll tell the person responsible to get it cleared up and take necessary action if they don't. If the antisocial behaviour is not obvious or if it's aimed directly at you - harassment and abuse for example - we will need to talk to you before we can start an investigation.
The next stage
In most cases we will need to meet you to talk about the problem. We can arrange the meeting where it is most suitable for you. We aim to meet with you within 3 days of acknowledging your complaint. We will need to get a complete picture of the problem: who is affected, how they're affected, where and when it happens and why you think the person is acting antisocially. We may also speak to other people who have been affected. At the end of the meeting we will give advice about what you should do and tell you what action we will take to get the problem resolved. We will also give you some incident diary forms to complete to keep a record of incidents.
Talking it through
If the case does not involve threats, violence or harassment, we may suggest that you talk the problem through with the other person. There is always a better chance of solving a dispute if you try to see each other's point of view. Sometimes a neighbour just needs reminding that their behaviour is upsetting you.
As a good neighbour you should be reasonably understanding of the different lifestyles of others. For example you don't have to put up with regular noisy parties, but try to tolerate a one-off event - especially if you're warned about it first. If the other person is unreasonable when you talk to them, just walk away. Don't get involved in an argument.
Mediation
If you feel uneasy about approaching a neighbour on your own, we can set up a meeting for you and be there to help you talk through the problem. Alternatively there is a special mediation service you can use. The mediation service has expert advisers who can help find a solution.
Gathering evidence
We can't take action against someone simply because another person has complained about them - we need evidence. The most important evidence is incident diary sheets. We will give you forms to record incidents you see or hear. We may need to collect additional evidence, like photographs, video or tape recordings of the incidents. Speaking to other people who have witnessed the problem might also be necessary - your neighbours for instance. It could be difficult to take the case any further without these other witnesses. Your neighbours could fill in their own incident diary as supporting evidence. The action we take may involve other agencies such as the police or social services.
Taking action
When we have collected evidence we will decide if the other person, the perpetrator, has a case to answer. If so, we will take action. In very serious cases, where the perpetrator has put someone in danger, we may go straight to legal action. In other situations we'll take a more step-by-step approach to try and get them to change their behaviour. We will need to interview the perpetrator. You can ask us not to do this but it could then be difficult to take the case further. We will tell them to change their behaviour and warn them that we will take further action if they don't. If necessary, we will take legal action against them.
This process is enough to resolve nearly all problems. If, after a final warning, antisocial behaviour continues, or if the perpetrator has put someone in danger, we will start legal action against them. We will then give you more advice and information.
We work closely with a variety of agencies when tackling anti-social behaviour. Our main partners are:
Chelmsford Community Policing Team - 01245 491212 ext 61707 or email CDCPT@essex.pnn.police.uk
Chelmsford Borough Council, Environmental Services - 01245 606659 or email: environmental.services@chelmsfordbc.gov.uk
Basildon Mediation - 01268 294372 or email:basildonmediation@parklandscentre.fsnet.co.uk
