Anti Social Behaviour Charter
We are here to help you and to make your neighbourhood a safer
place to live Help and support throughout.
If you are a victim or witness of anti-social behaviour, you do
not need to deal with it alone.
This could mean us speaking to your regularly or making sure
other agencies are aware of your needs. If the report goes to court
we will help you every step of the way, explaining fully and being
honest about what you can expect. This could include taking you to
and showing you around the court building and answering any
questions you may have. Alternatively you may wish to contact Kent
Victim Support on 0845 389 9527.
Our commitment to you…
We are commited to reducing anti-social behaviour in your area
and making it a safer place to live, work and visit.
You have a right to live a life where you feel safe to walk
about your community and live your life as you choose. Sometimes
the inconsiderate behaviour of others can stop this from happening
and we refer to this behaviour as ‘anti-social behaviour’.
If you are the victim of this behaviour, you have a right to
report what is happening and we have a duty to take
steps to stop it.
We have written this charter to set out clear information about
what anti-social behaviour is and what you can expect Dover
District Council and Kent Police to do if you make a report about
anti-social behaviour.
What is anti-social behaviour?
Anti-social behaviour can mean different things to different
people. It’s important to define what antisocial behaviour is so
that those suffering from it and those people responsible for
committing it are clear about what we mean.
Anti-social behaviour (ASB) is virtually any intimidating or
threatening activity that scares you or damages your quality of
life.
This can include, but is not restricted to:
- Rowdy, noisy behaviour
- Vandalism
- Street drinking
- Menacing groups
- Drug dealing or associated nuisance
- Intimidating neighbours
- Aggressive begging
- On-street drinking
- Setting off fireworks late at night
Who deals with anti-social behaviour?
As anti-social behaviour comes in many shapes and sizes, Dover
District Council and Kent Police work together with a wide range of
organisations to take the right action.
This may include working with local housing associations, the
NHS or Kent Fire and Rescue Service.
What should you do about anti-social behaviour?
Ideally, if you feel able and safe to, it’s worth talking face
to face with the people you are having problems with.
You should remain calm and polite and explain why their
behaviour is upsetting you. Try not to get angry or personal as
this could make your relationship with them and their behaviour
even worse.
If you feel unsafe or threatened by their behaviour, you should
avoid any confrontation with them and get in contact with us.
How to report anti-social behaviour
The office is staffed Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm (excepting
public holidays) but there is an answerphone facility outside these
hours.
To report noise nuisance:
In confidence – you can trust us
All reports are kept in the strictest of confidence and we will
not reveal any of your details without your permission.
In an emergency:
If you are in immediate danger, please telephone 999
We are not an emergency service.
We will do everything we can within our power to try to achieve
a positive result for you
Remember
We can only take action if we know what the problems are. You
need to give as much information about the anti-social behaviour as
possible, including descriptions of the person(s), exact locations,
times of day, dates and any other details that may help.
Without your help we cannot take a stand against antisocial
behaviour.
We recognise that this is not easy for many people and we will
do all we can to support you in tackling the issues that matter to
you.
So please don’t ignore it, report it!
What happens once you have made the report to us?
We will:
- Take every report of anti-social behaviour seriously and record
your complaint
- Contact you within one working day of receipt of your
complaint
- Assess the risks to decide how best we can support you
- If necessary, meet with you in person to gather further
information
- Provide you with a diary (and guidance for its completion) if
relevant, to record more details
- Always request your permission to reveal your details to our
partners (such as another department or your Police Community
Support Officer)
- Work alongside other partners to share information and tackle
issues
- Keep you informed on our course of action along every step of
the way
- Provide you with one single point of contact
- Ensure your needs as a victim are understood and supported
- Investigate fully every case we take on and gather as much
information as is available
- Consider all the tools and powers available to us
- Continue to monitor your situation and support your needs even
after our investigation has ended
- Explain our findings when we finish investigating
- Monitor your satisfaction with the way we have dealt with your
case
What else can you do?
- Do keep a note of everything that is happening (times, dates,
places, descriptions).
- Do keep alert to what is going on around you; speak to your
neighbours and make a stand together if possible.
- Avoid putting yourself in danger
Remember!
We can only act on the evidence and information we receive.
Feel free to call with any questions, concerns or new
information
Dover District Council anti-social behaviour team 01304
872220
If you need immediate police assistance always dial 999
In a police non-emergency please call 01622 690690
To make an anonymous call contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555
111
