Community safety service standards

How will my report be dealt with?

The Council's community safety team is responsible for ensuring a co-ordinated approach to community safety matters within the Borough to ensure a holistic response is achieved.

Actions/responses

The Council provides access to a 24/7 system for logging reports of anti-social behaviour, either via the Council's out of hours telephone service or the Council's website.

Initial action

Upon receipt of a report of crime or anti-social behaviour, the community safety team will investigate all reports and ensure they are logged onto the Council's customer relation management system (Comino) within one working day of receipt.

Further actions

In all cases where it is appropriate for the community safety team to be involved. they will: 

• initially contact the complainant within 48 hours to clarify the details of the incident and record the response on the Comino system  
• respond in writing to every report within five working days or refer it to the correct Council department or other agency, particularly residential social landlords (RSL's), to respond and advise the complainant accordingly

Process for dealing with reports

Within five working days, all complainants will receive written confirmation of receipt of their complaint, together with a supply of log sheets to enable them to track further incidents.

They will be requested to log incidents for the next 14 days and to return the completed log sheets to the community safety team.  They will also be supplied with a 'Freepost' address to facilitate the return of the log sheets.

Upon receipt of completed log sheets, the information will be evaluated by the community safety team to identify the appropriate response to be taken.

If after 28 days log sheets have not been returned it will be assumed that the issue no longer persists and the case will be closed.

Responses

If it is considered actions need to be taken in response to any report, these will involve using one of or a combination of enforcement, mediation, prevention, possible environmental improvements, education or support for individual's specific needs as detailed below.

The report will also be considered by the multi-agency Joint Action Group to determine appropriate actions and which of the partner agencies will respond.

Action against individual perpetrators identified as being involved in crime and disorder will comprise the use of one or more of the following actions:

• written/verbal warnings
• the issue of fixed penalty notices (FPNs)
• actions for breach of bye-laws
• acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs)
• parental control agreements
• anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs)
• pursuance of civil proceedings at court

It may also involve providing evidence to the prosecuting authorities if criminal offences are identified.  The Council will:

• Support the implementation of other actions proposed by the Broxbourne Community Safety Partnership to address 'hotspot' areas on land under the Council's responsibility, such as dispersal orders/alcohol control orders or other orders
• Support the victim and keep them informed of progress of action taken
• Utilise other appropriate agencies addressing the behaviour of perpetrators such as the Youth Offending Team, Youth Inclusion Support Panel, Probation Service, etc.

Physical measures to address crime and disorder will include:

• To seek removal of any racist/homophobic graffiti from any public property within 48 hours of report, with all other graffiti to be removed within seven days of report
• A proportion of the Council's annual capital programme will be specifically targeted at the provision of community safety measures
• To research and, where appropriate, implement environmental improvements to design out crime/anti-social behaviour at identified 'problem' locations on land under its responsibility
• In consultation with the Council's community services department, to consider provision and funding of appropriate youth diversionary activities

Other preventative measures to be promoted by the community safety team include the encouragement of 'good neighbourliness' and support for the establishment of neighbourhood watch schemes.

Information sharing and advice

In order to maintain a holistic approach to addressing community safety in the Borough, the community safety team will involve the Police in all incidents involving criminal matters and other Council departments, as and when appropriate.

Complaint

If you do not feel your case has been dealt with effectively you can complain using either the Council's complaints procedure (click here) or the Police complaints procedure on their website under "Making a Complaint".