ASBOs and ABCs

This section explains about Anti-social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs), Acceptabe Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) and how the Council and its partners deal with anti-social behaviour.

Anti-social behaviour in Reigate and Banstead

Reports of anti-social behaviour in the Borough are considered at the fortnightly Community Incident Action Group (CIAG), jointly chaired by the Borough Council’s Community Safety Manager, Debbie Stitt, and Surrey Police Borough Inspector, Clive Davies.

This is a multi-agency group whose members include

The Borough Council Community Wardens
Raven Housing Trust (formerly RB Housing Trust) Neighbourhood Managers
Surrey Police Neighbourhood Specialists
Youth Offending Team
Surrey County Council Youth Development Officer
Others according to the agenda content.

This group considers the severity of the reported anti-social behaviour and decides appropriate action. This follows a 3-step process:

Anti-social behaviour letters to parents of young people under 18
When the offender is part of a larger group creating a disturbance and his/her actual role is unclear, a letter signed by the police and Borough Council officers is sent to parents of all group members, informing them of their child’s behaviour and asking them to take steps to remedy it.

These have proven to be an effective early preventative warning in many cases, and further involvement in anti-social behaviour may cease at this stage
Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC)
These can be sent as a first or second step when an individual’s direct behaviour has been witnessed. If the offender is under 18, the officers involved (usually a police officer and a housing officer or community warden) will visit their home.

The ABC will be presented for signing in the presence of the young person’s parent or guardian and will be witnessed by the attending officer.

Compliance with the conditions of the ABC will be monitored by the relevant officers and reviewed at the CIAG after 6 months.

If the conditions are complied with for a full year, the ABC will be cancelled by the CIAG and the recipient informed accordingly.

If the conditions are not complied with, or the offender refuses to sign, this is included as evidence towards an Anti-social Behaviour Order.
Anti-social Behaviour Order (ASBO)
These are initiated through the CIAG when the above steps have not led to any improvement in anti-social behaviour or can be imposed directly by the courts.

A file regarding the individual’s behaviour is created and witness statements sought. In addition, hearsay evidence can be included; where a member of the public wishes to remain anonymous, their evidence can be reported by a police officer on their behalf.

ASBO applications can be submitted by the Police, Borough Council or Surrey County Council, as well as Registered Social Landlords (e.g. Raven Housing Trust, Orbit Housing Association, Mount Green Housing Assocation).