Antisocial behaviour FAQs

ASB is defined by the Antisocial Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 as “Conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to any person”. Most ASB incidents are not recorded as crimes and may therefore not fall under the responsibility of Devon and Cornwall Police.  For instance, issues like noise nuisance, fly tipping, parking issues (non-obstructive), littering etc. should be reported to your Local Authority.  

The Police is responsible for the following incidents:  

• Begging 
• Dealing/taking of drugs and drinking alcohol in the street 
• Gangs and youths drinking in parks 
• Harassment or intimidation 
• Hoax calls to emergency services 
• Misuse of fireworks 
• Prostitution and indecent behaviour 
• Vandalism or graffiti 

Further information on how to report ASB can be found at the FAQ below on reporting ASB concerns. 

This is a major area of focus for the Commissioner, who has prioritised antisocial behaviour for her term of office. In fact, ASB is one of the key priority areas within her Police and Crime Plan 2021-2025: Police and Crime Plan 2021-25 

A range of actions are being supported by the Commissioner to help address ASB. These include working with partners to prevent ASB, encouraging the public to report ASB and providing them with help and support and enhancing policing response. 

For instance, we are recruiting additional police officers all the time and increasing focus on high visibility policing. Locally funded recruitment coupled with a central Government funded uplift means that in 2022/23 Devon and Cornwall police will hit record officer numbers of 3,610. 

In addition, in collaboration with local partners, the Commissioner has worked towards maximising funding received through Safer Streets funding from the Government. So far, Devon and Cornwall have secured over £4.7 million since 2020 to invest in schemes such as CCTV, improved street lighting and town centre teams aimed at tackling antisocial behaviour, drug misuse and strengthening feelings of safety in the night-time economy. 

The Commissioner has further strengthened the provision of support services for ASB by commissioning the following interventions:  

• ASB Youth Outreach service (£250,000 per year) to respond to ASB where there are identified areas of time of concern and preventing youth ASB from escalating to criminality via early interventions  
• ASB Mediation Service (£30,000 per year), to reduce conflict and prevent escalation by enabling communities to access self-help tools and increasing options for conflict resolution and crime reduction.  
• Dedicated ASB Victim Support Service (£200,000 per year) to support people affected by ASB to cope and recover.  
• Using her Community Grant Fund scheme across Devon to support schemes aimed at addressing ASB and drug use through dedicated funding programmes run by Cornwall Community Foundation and Devon Community Foundation.  

Further details on interventions related to ASB which are funded by the Commissioner can be found in the her Commissioning Intention Plan

The Commissioner has commissioned an additional ASB Victim Support Service to support people affected by ASB to cope and recover, investing £200,000 per year for three years from 2022/23. 

To access victim support, please find relevant information at:  

Victim Support Devon and Cornwall | Victim Care Devon and Cornwall 

For information on other sources of support, please see: 

Victim Support is a national charity dedicated to helping anyone affected by crime to cope with and recover from their experience.  If it doesn't have an office in your area, it can point you to local help. 

It also runs My Support Space, a free, safe, secure and confidential space where you can choose how you want to be supported. Register for My Support Space - it's quick and easy. 

ASB Help is a charity in England and Wales providing online advice and support to victims of antisocial behaviour. Visit the ASB Help website for guidance about different types of ASB, advice about gathering evidence, and available support systems. 

SupportLine is a confidential service offering emotional support to anyone on any issue by telephone, email and post. SupportLine is particularly aimed at those who are socially isolated, vulnerable, at-risk groups and victims of any form of abuse. 

Helpline: 01708 765200    Email: info@supportline.org.uk 

Thank you for reporting this ASB incident. If you are continuing to experience ASB, we advise that you make further reports to your Local Authority or Devon and Cornwall Police (Please see the FAQ above on how to report). 

If you have made multiple reports of the ASB and feel that more action is required, you may be eligible to seek an ASB Case Review (formerly called a Community Trigger) which requires the local agencies to review your case and the action taken to date and consider if there is any further action that can be taken. (Please see next FAQ button on how to apply for an ASB Case Review).  

If you are unhappy with how Devon and Cornwall Police or a local authority has handled your case you may also be able to make a formal complaint to that organisation. Details of how to make a complaint against Devon and Cornwall Police can be found on the Devon and Cornwall Police website at How to make a complaint | Devon and Cornwall Police (devon-cornwall.police.uk).  Details on how to make a complaint about your local authority can be found on your local authority website.

The ASB Case Review is a legal tool introduced by the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 which seeks to support those that have been impacted by persistent ASB and have already reported these events to the relevant local agencies (i.e. Devon and Cornwall Police, their Local Authority, a Clinical Commissioning Group and/or a Registered Housing Provider (social landlord). An ASB case review will be undertaken by partner agencies, who will review action that has been previously undertaken to address the ASB and decide on whether there are additional actions that can be taken to resolve the issue/s in question. 

Further details on how the review is carried out can be found at:

Procedure for escalating the ASB Case Review to the Police & Crime Commissioner

You may either apply for a Community Trigger Review via your Local Authority or Devon and Cornwall Police.  

Alternatively, you may apply by contacting Devon and Cornwall Police. The request will be forwarded to the ASB case review manager for your area. 

All Local Authorities’ procedures must include provision for a person to request a review of the way an application for an ASB Case Review was dealt with, and the way their review was carried out. 

The Commissioner has agreed that the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) will receive requests for review in these circumstances for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Escalation to the Commissioner may be used where an individual is dissatisfied with the procedure in the following circumstances:

1. The Relevant Bodies have rejected an application to use the ASB Case Review on the basis that the threshold has not been met and the victim considers that the threshold has been met;

2. The ASB Case Reviewhas failed to consider a relevant process, policy or protocol

3. The ASB Case Reviewhas failed to consider relevant factual evidenced information.

Any escalation must be made to the Commissioner by the organisation which carried out the ASB Case Review, not the applicant.  

For further information, please see the following:  

Procedure for escalating a Community Trigger to the Police and Crime Commissioner