Little progress has been made in improving the responses of councils and other agencies to complaints of anti-social behaviour over the last five years, the Victims' Commissioner says.
A new report found over 60% of victims of persistent anti-social behaviour said they still face unresolved issues despite reporting the behaviour to the police, a council or a housing association.
Still living a nightmare: Understanding the experiences of victims of anti-social behaviour also revealed that two in five cases have been ongoing for over five years.
The report draws on responses from more than 500 people who have been subjected to persistent anti-social behaviour.
The Victims’ Commissioner, Baroness Newlove, said that ‘little meaningful progress’ has been made since she published her last report into the issue in 2019.
‘Too many victims continue to suffer, with many stuck in the same patterns of anti-social behaviour and facing the same perpetrators as five years ago. The time for empty promises is over – we now need real, tangible progress.’
Cllr Heather Kidd, chair of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: ‘Victims report their experiences to a number of organisations including their council, housing provider and the police, which means tackling it requires a multi-agency response with adequate powers and resourcing to take action.
‘The LGA is working with councils to advise government how to achieve its stated aim of tackling anti-social behaviour. This will include better information sharing between agencies and better co-ordinated action.’
