Anti‑social behaviour (ASB) is any persistent behaviour that causes harassment, alarm or distress to individuals or the wider community. It can include noise nuisance, intimidation, vandalism, threatening behaviour, misuse of public spaces, or behaviour that negatively affects people’s quality of life. ASB covers a wide range of issues, and responsibility for dealing with it may sit with the council, the police, or housing providers depending on the type of behaviour.
Some issues may feel like anti‑social behaviour but are handled by different council teams or partners. These include dog fouling, parking enforcement, fly‑tipping, noise nuisance, abandoned vehicles and hate crime. Each has its own reporting route and guidance, and you can use the links here to go directly to the right service for more information or to make a report.
Relevant department links below for the most direct response.
The quickest and most effective way to report anti‑social behaviour is directly to the police using the Devon & Cornwall Police online reporting service
You can also report ASB by calling 101 for non‑emergencies. Always dial 999 if someone is in immediate danger or a crime is in progress. The council can help with certain types of ASB, but behaviours involving threats, criminal activity, or public safety should be reported to the police first. All calls to the police are logged and these logs can be used as evidence if any court action is taken. Just the act of reporting incidents is valuable information even if the police do not attend.
Once a report is made, an ASB caseworker (or your housing officer if you’re a housing association tenant) will review the information and advise on next steps.
It helps to keep a simple diary or log of repeated incidents, including dates, times, what happened, and who was involved. This information can support any action taken by the police, council, or housing provider. You can use our template diary sheets below.
ASB Diary ASB Diary Extra Pages ASB Diary GuideIn the first instance if repeated acts of anti-social behaviour are reported and evidenced then a warning should be issued to the perpetrator(s) normally from the police, council or social landlord, highlighting that the behaviour displayed is unacceptable and should cease. If the anti-social behaviour continues then a second and final warning is issued along with support to address the causes of the behaviour. If reports of anti-social acts are still reported then the last stage is generally some form of legal action.
Please note that although there is an escalation process in dealing with anti-social behavioural issues, if the behaviour is of sufficient gravity then it may constitute immediate action as opposed to going through the escalation process.
Action against anti-social behaviour takes place under civil law. This means that important evidence like victim personal accounts and/or diaries or notes showing repeated anti-social behaviour acts can be used in court as evidence against anyone who is identified as being involved in repeated acts of Anti-social behaviour. If the case comes to court, witnesses do not have to give evidence or be identified in court. A professional witness i.e. a police officer can be used to relay personal accounts in court on behalf of the witness. Witness protection is an extremely high priority and all measures are taken to protect identity where requested.
Our Operational Procedure, Policy, and Privacy Impact Assessment for the use of Body Worn Video (BWV) by Anti-Social Behaviour Officers can be found below.
