Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003

Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) is a Home Office priority as it impinges on the quality of life for communities. Behaviours falling into this category include vandalism, graffiti, youth nuisance, abandoned cars, noisy neighbours and litter (including drug and alcohol related paraphernalia).

ASB can hold back the regeneration of our most disadvantaged areas, creating an environment in which crime can take hold. In 2003, nearly a quarter of people canvassed by the British Crime Survey (22%) perceived a high level of disorder in their local area - an increase from 2001. And one in three people (33%) cited teenagers "hanging around" on the streets as a big problem (British Crime Survey 2002).Drug dealing itself is a form of ASB.

It is nationally recognised that crack cocaine dealing has tendencies to lead to problems with ASB, as premises are used for supplying the drug from. Locally, there have been situations where dealers have entered the county and preyed on vulnerable people, in order to use their homes to conduct their business from. There have also been instances of the registered tenants of properties being the individuals causing the ASB and doing the dealing themselves.

Section One of the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003 enables the Closure of Premises used in connection with the production, supply or use of Class A drugs and associated with the occurrence of disorder or serious nuisance. National guidelines and recent guidance produced by Cambridgeshire Constabulary state that all relevant agencies should be consulted before a closure takes place. Such agencies include the district council, social services, housing providers, arrest referral and education. This work can be assisted by the DAAT Co-ordinator to ensure all relevant agencies have been contacted.

Several closures have taken place across the county since the powers were introduced in April 2004. In all cases there has been a noticeable reduction in Anti Social Behaviour for the community.

Further Information on ASB
For further information regarding drug and alcohol related ASB please refer to the DAAT audit 2004 and the Crime and Disorder audits for 2004, which will be published very soon, for each district council area in Cambridgeshire. The DAAT audit details the influences that substance misuse can have on communities, and how certain behaviours substance misusers engage in can be perceived as antisocial.