Councillor Clive Woodbridge, Mayor of Epsom & Ewell Borough Council has signed an Anti-Social Behaviour Pledge which commits the council to supporting victims of anti-social behaviour.

The pledge is a set of principles put forward by the victims’ charity ASB Help. ASB Help have previously assisted the Community Safety Partnership on complex community trigger applications.

A community trigger can be activated if an incident has been reported three or more times within a six month period and not received a satisfactory response. This gives the victim the right to demand that agencies deal with persistent anti-social behaviour.

The pledge’s aims are as follows:

• Promote awareness - Actively encourage the use of the community trigger to residents and partner agencies.
• Legality - Confirm an organisation is legally compliant and embracing the spirit of the community trigger.
• Ensure accessibility - Publicise the community trigger so the most vulnerable know what it is and how to invoke it.
• Develop the process - Embrace the full potential of the community trigger by continually reviewing and learning from best practice.
• Generate inclusivity - Use community trigger review meetings to work collaboratively and strategically, formulating solutions to end the anti-social behaviour.
• Establish a precedent of using the community trigger to put victims first and deter perpetrators.

Councillor John Beckett, Chair of the Environment and Safe Communities Committee, said “Anti-Social behaviour is not welcome in Epsom & Ewell and we work hard with partner agencies to both reduce and prevent it. Anti-social behaviour can be anything from neighbourhood issues and noise nuisance to tall vegetation, bonfires, fly tipping and inconsiderate parking. 

 “I would like to reassure victims of any sort of anti-social behaviour that we are there to support them. Signing this pledge is a reminder for us as a council and for our partners in the Community Safety Partnership to work more closely with ASB Help and ensure victims are effectively assisted.” 

For more information on how to report a community trigger please take a look here.