Cambridge City Council has a duty to tackle antisocial behaviour. We take this duty very seriously both in our role as the city’s largest landlord and in our role as a key member of the Cambridge Community Safety Partnership where we work alongside the police and other agencies.
If you would like to know more about the council’s general approach to antisocial behaviour, the powers we have, and the circumstances in which we will use them, please take a look at our antisocial behaviour policy and procedures.
What antisocial behaviour is
Antisocial behaviour is any conduct that can cause people to feel harassed, alarmed or distressed. This is a very broad definition and this is deliberate.
Some antisocial behaviours like theft, threats, actual assault or damage to property are clearly criminal acts and should always be reported directly to the police.
Other kinds of antisocial behaviours may not be criminal but cause fear and anxiety and can degrade the quality of life for individuals, a neighbourhood, or even whole communities.
The concept of antisocial behaviour makes a clear link between this kind of lower level bad behaviour and crime. It recognises that low level problems may become higher level problems if they are not dealt with, and that by eroding people’s sense of attachment to where they live, lower level antisocial behaviour can encourage conditions where crime becomes easier to commit.
Examples of antisocial behaviour
It is not always easy to pinpoint exactly what is, and what is not, anti-social behaviour. People’s judgement may differ about what is acceptable behaviour, so we generally advise neighbours experiencing low-level difficulties to first try to talk about the problem with the person causing 'offence' as they may not be aware of it. The council can also help arrange mediation, or neighbours in dispute may refer themselves to the service.
Here are some examples of the kinds of problem the Antisocial Behaviour team and its partners typically help with:
noise
- loud televisions and music
- shouting or yelling
- persistent alarms
- excessively loud or frequent parties
- dogs persistently barking
intimidation and harassment
- verbal or written abuse
- threats of violence
- assault
- property damage
- keeping an aggressive dog
hate behaviour directed at a person’s:
- race or nationality
- gender
- sexual orientation
- disability
- faith
environmental antisocial behaviour
- dumping rubbish and littering
- vandalism
- dog fouling
- graffiti
- abandoned vehicles.
Contact us or report a problem
If, having read these pages, you are in doubt about whether, or where, to report your problem, please contact the Antisocial Behaviour team for advice by email at asbsection@cambridge.gov.uk or call 01223 457000 and ask for the Antisocial Behaviour team.
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.
Environmental antisocial behaviour
Environmental antisocial behaviour is not dealt with by the Antisocial Behaviour team but by other sections within the council. For more information and to find out how to report environmental antisocial behaviour go to street care and cleaning enforcement.
