Welcome to the Every Action Counts website.
Here you can find out what constitutes anti-social behaviour, the legislation in your area and how to report incidents of ASB.
So, what is anti-social behaviour?
Abuse
Shouting, swearing, and fighting.
Harassment
Intimidating behaviour such as verbal abuse.
Dumping rubbish
Dumping of large items or waste on public roads, land or into rivers.
Violence
Intimidation through threats or actual violence.
“Anti-social behaviour (ASB) is conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to any person. Conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance to a person in relation to that person’s occupation of residential premises, or conduct capable of causing housing-related nuisance or annoyance to any person.” (Anti-social behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014)
Essentially, ASB is the umbrella term for a whole host of problems, such as excessive and consistent noise nuisance, vandalism, intimidation, rowdy and inconsiderate behaviour, loitering and more. Types of ASB are categorised into personal anti-social behaviour, nuisance anti-social behaviour, and environmental anti-social behaviour.
Personal anti-social behaviour: ASB that targets a specific individual or group.
Nuisance anti-social behaviour: ASB that causes suffering for an entire community.
Environmental anti-social behaviour: ASB that impacts the environment (e.g. public spaces or buildings).
Noise
Loud music, banging, DIY at unsocial hours, frequent loud parties.
Anti-social drinking
Ranging from groups of street drinkers, to general drunken or rowdy behaviour.
Property
Vandalism, property damage and graffiti.
Abusive behaviour
Abusive behaviour aimed at causing distress or fear to certain people; for example, elderly or disabled people.
Groups of cars
Driving in an inconsiderate way; for example, drivers congregating in an area for racing/car cruising.
Animals
Animal nuisance, including dog fouling, dogs barking.
Arson
The intentional act of deliberately setting fire to public property.
So, what is anti-social behaviour?
The Staffordshire Commissioner’s Office has received funding to tackle ASB in specific areas: Hanley & Etruria, Burton Urban, Newcastle Town, Stafford Town and Blurton & Longton West. The Every Action Counts campaign has been developed with these locations in mind, but information is relevant to all areas across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
“Anti-social behaviour (ASB) is conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to any person. Conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance to a person in relation to that person’s occupation of residential premises, or conduct capable of causing housing-related nuisance or annoyance to any person.” (Anti-social behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014)
Essentially, ASB is the umbrella term for a whole host of problems, such as excessive and consistent noise nuisance, vandalism, intimidation, rowdy and inconsiderate behaviour, loitering and more. Types of ASB are categorised into personal anti-social behaviour, nuisance anti-social behaviour, and environmental anti-social behaviour.
Personal anti-social behaviour: ASB that targets a specific individual or group.
Nuisance anti-social behaviour: ASB that causes suffering for an entire community.
Environmental anti-social behaviour: ASB that impacts the environment (e.g. public spaces or buildings).
Abuse
Shouting, swearing, and fighting.
Harassment
Intimidating behaviour such as verbal abuse.
Dumping rubbish
Dumping of large items or waste on public roads, land or into rivers.
Violence
Intimidation through threats or actual violence.
Noise
Loud music, banging, DIY at unsocial hours, frequent loud parties.
Anti-social drinking
Ranging from groups of street drinkers, to general drunken or rowdy behaviour.
Property
Vandalism, property damage and graffiti.
Abusive behaviour
Abusive behaviour aimed at causing distress or fear to certain people; for example, elderly or disabled people.
Groups of cars
Driving in an inconsiderate way; for example, drivers congregating in an area for racing/car cruising.
Animals
Animal nuisance, including dog fouling, dogs barking.
Arson
The intentional act of deliberately setting fire to public property.
So, what isn't anti-social behaviour
Parking
(including badly parked vehicles).
Children playing
Noise from children playing outside or indoors.
Gatherings
Groups of people in the street or in parks, unless they are being rowdy, abusive, causing damage or in an area where gatherings are prohibited by a PSPO.
Noise caused by everyday living
Low-level issues such as household jobs, babies crying, and other unavoidable actions.
DIY
Neighbours doing DIY (at reasonable times of the day).
Religious or cultural practice
This includes praying and other religious related practices.
A one-off party
Noise generated from a one-off party, unless it becomes a regular occurrence.
The Staffordshire Commissioner’s Office has received funding to tackle ASB in specific areas: Hanley & Etruria, Burton Urban, Newcastle Town, Stafford Town and Blurton & Longton West. The Every Action Counts campaign has been developed with these locations in mind, but information is relevant to all areas across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
“Anti-social behaviour (ASB) is conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to any person. Conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance to a person in relation to that person’s occupation of residential premises, or conduct capable of causing housing-related nuisance or annoyance to any person.” (Anti-social behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014)
Essentially, ASB is the umbrella term for a whole host of problems, such as excessive and consistent noise nuisance, vandalism, intimidation, rowdy and inconsiderate behaviour, loitering and more. Types of ASB are categorised into personal anti-social behaviour, nuisance anti-social behaviour, and environmental anti-social behaviour.
Personal anti-social behaviour: ASB that targets a specific individual or group.
Nuisance anti-social behaviour: ASB that causes suffering for an entire community.
Environmental anti-social behaviour: ASB that impacts the environment (e.g. public spaces or buildings).
What is anti-social behaviour?
- Abuse - Shouting, swearing & fighting
- Harassment - Intimidating behaviour such as verbal abuse.
- Dumping rubbish - Dumping of large items or waste on public roads, land or into rivers.
- Violence - Intimidation through threats or actual violence
- Noise - Loud music, banging, DIY at unsocial hours, loud parties, frequent visitors at unsocial hours
- Anti-social drinking - Ranging from groups of street drinkers, to general drunken or rowdy behaviour.
- Property - Vandalism, property damage and graffiti
- Abusive behaviour - Abusive behaviour aimed at causing distress or fear to certain people; for example, elderly or disabled people
- Groups of cars - Driving in an inconsiderate way; for example, drivers congregating in an area for racing/car cruising
- Animals - Animal nuisance, including dog fouling, dogs barking
- Arson - The intentional act of deliberately setting fire to public property
What isn't anti-social behaviour?
- Parking - Including badly parked vehicles
- Children playing - Noise from children playing outside or indoors.
- Gatherings - Groups of people in the street or in parks, unless they are being rowdy, abusive, causing damage or committing other crimes
- Noise caused by everyday living - Low-level issues such as household jobs, babies crying, and other unavoidable actions.
- DIY - Neighbours doing DIY (at reasonable times of the day).
- Religious or cultural practice - This includes praying and other religious related practices.
- A one-off party - Noise generated from a one-off party, unless it becomes a regular occurrence.
Every report counts. Help put a stop to anti-social behaviour in your area.
What are the consequences of anti-social behaviour?
Committing anti-social behaviour not only negatively impacts the local community, but it can have lifelong consequences for the perpetrators. ASB can intimidate the community, and severely impact your life. ASB can lead to more severe actions and more severe consequences down the line.
What are the consequences of anti-social behaviour?
Committing anti-social behaviour not only negatively impacts the local community, but it can have lifelong consequences for the perpetrators. ASB can intimidate the community, and severely impact your life. ASB can lead to more severe actions and more severe consequences down the line.
How do I report anti-social behaviour?
Burton Urban
Stafford Town
Hanley & Etruria
Don’t see your area above? Visit your local authority website to find out how to report in your area:
Reporting is vital when it comes to tackling anti-social behaviour, as it paints a bigger picture of the issues within your community, and help us to implement long term solutions.
Across Staffordshire we have local Community Safety Partnerships (CSP) in place to tackle ASB, including police, local council and housing. Reports are directed to the most appropriate agency.
In this circumstance, you may not always receive a call or visit, however your report will always be logged and accounted for. We are grateful for all reports, as it helps us to put long term solutions in place.
If the ASB you’re witnessing is an emergency, causing immediate risk or danger to a person/people, always call 999.
For information on how you can report non-emergency ASB within your area, visit your local authority’s website.
Are you a business owner struggling with anti-social behaviour? Support is available.
What is a PSPO?
A PSPO is a Public Spaces Protection Order used by Community Safety Partners to stop anti-social behaviour that is causing harm or distress in the local area.
The order can cover different issues depending on specific problems highlighted in each area, requiring certain actions to be taken.
Disobeying the PSPO is considered a crime, meaning a fine can be issued by the police should these rules be broken.
