The police and the council have a duty to deal with antisocial behaviour but they frequently work together, and with other organisations, to resove problems.
Whether a matter should be reported first to the police, the council or another agency will depend on what the matter is, how serious it appears to be and how quickly it needs to be dealt with.
As a rule, the more serious or urgent a matter is, the more likely it is to be a job for the police. All crime should first be reported to the police. The police will then contact the council if it is a matter we can help with.
Please note at all times reports are treated in confidence.
The following table is a guide to where you should report your problem:
| Problem | Where to report it | Contact details |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal behaviour like threats, assault, theft, damage to propery or intimidation | The police | Emergency:
999 Other: 0345 456 4564 You can also contact the police online |
| Council tenants or leaseholders Lower level problems with neighbours or problems in your neighbourhood | City Homes | North area: North Area Housing Office 171 Arbury Road, Cambridge, CB4 2YG 01223 458440 South area: South Area Housing Office, 89 Cherry Hinton Road, Cambridge, CB1 7BS 0800 5872031 |
| Council tenants or leaseholders Middle-to-higher level problems with neighbours or problems in your neighbourhood | Antisocial Behaviour team | Safer Communities, Cambridge City Council, PO Box 700, Cambridge, CB1 0JH 01223 457950 asbsection@cambridge.gov.uk |
| Private sector tenants and owner occupiers Problems with neighbours or problems in your neighbourhood | Antisocial Behaviour team | Safer Communities, Cambridge City Council, PO Box 700, Cambridge, CB1 0JH 01223 457950 asbsection@cambridge.gov.uk |
| Housing association tenants and leaseholders Problems with neighbours or problems in your neighbourhood | The Antisocial Behaviour Team will be pleased to advise on any problem but you should first report neighbour or neighbourhood problems to your housing association landlord. | Find your landlord here |
| Non-criminal acts of aggression or disruptive or rowdy behaviour | Antisocial Behaviour team or The police | Safer Communities, Cambridge City Council, PO Box 700, Cambridge, CB1 0JH 01223 457950 asbsection@cambridge.gov.uk Police: 0345 456 4564 You can also contact the police online |
| Racial harassment | Racial harassment and community cohesion officer | 01223 457967 07973 883261 tulat.raja@cambridge.gov,uk |
| Hate crime (including racial harassment) | Cambridgeshire police | Emergency: 999 Other: 0345 456 4564 You can also contact the police hate crime team |
| Noise | Cambridge City Council Environmental Services | 01223 457890 01223 457457 (out of hours) env.health@cambridge.gov.uk |
| Graffiti Littering Dumped rubbish | Council Customer Service Centre | 01223 458282 enquiries@cambridge.gov.uk For more information please see our street care and cleaning web pages |
| Abandoned vehicles Abandoned trolleys Nuisance vehicles Illegal advertising Fly posting | Council Customer Service Centre | For more information please see our street care and cleaning web pages |
Reports made to the Antisocial Behaviour team
Incident report forms
We realise that when you are frightened or upset, it is not always easy to write down what has happened to you, or what you have seen, but the Antisocial Behaviour team is able to deal more effectively with anti-social behaviour when there is good evidence to work with. To help you make a full report, the team has developed an antisocial behaviour report form.
- Complete the antisocial behaviour incident report form online
- Download a printable antisocial behaviour incident report form
This form gives you general information about providing written and photographic evidence and also provides an example of how best to report an incident.
Please post printed forms to the Anti-Social Behaviour Team, Cambridge City Council, PO Box 700, Cambridge CB1 0JH.
If you would like a copy of the incident report form in Microsoft Word format (so that you can complete it online and email it back to us) please ask the Antisocial Behaviour team by email at asbsection@cambridge.gov.uk or call 01223 457000.
Please remember, any information you provide will be treated in the strictest confidence. As a witness you will not be identified unless you have given us permission to do so.
What happens when you make a report
Once a report is received, an officer will be appointed to investigate it further. This lead officer will normally be your main point of contact until the case is closed.
The lead officer will decide whether your case is of high, medium or low seriousness. The Antisocial Behaviour team’s target is to make a first reponse to all high-level reports of antisocial behaviour within one day and to respond to all others within two-to-seven days.
Find out how we are performing againt this and other antisocial behaviour targets.
Unless a case is urgent, you will be asked to keep a diary of events using the incident report form. This may continue for up to four weeks after which the lead officer will again review the case and take any necessary action. You will be kept informed of all significant developments.
Action the team can take
The overall aim of the service is to reach a fair and lasting solution to your antisocial behaviour problem as quickly as possible. To try to achieve this, an officer may take one (or several) of the following actions.
The officer may:
- write to the offending party and request an interview
- gather further evidence, for example, statements from others affected, photographs, professional witness evidence and medical evidence
- refer the complaint to another department or agency
- present the complaint to the tenancy enforcement panel (if the perpetrator is a tenant) or to the multi-agency Antisocial Behaviour Problem Solving Group
- take enforcement action, in the way of an acceptable behaviour contract, parental control agreement, antisocial behaviour order (ASBO), injunction order or possession order (for tenants).
Unacceptable behaviours list
Contact
If you would like to know more about anything on these pages, please contact the Antisocial Behaviour team by email at asbsection@cambridge.gov.uk or call 01223 457000 and ask to be put through to us.
