Anti-social behaviour

Complaints and community triggers

If you are not happy with the way your case has been dealt with, you should contact the original organisation that dealt with your report in the first instance.

  • If you have reported anti-social behaviour to Staffordshire Polic,e but do not feel that action has been taken, you can complain to them by calling 101 or on the Staffordshire police website
  • If you have reported anti-social behaviour to us, but you don't feel that action has been taken, please email us in the first instance to see if we can put it right. You can also call us on 01543 308777, or submit a complaints, suggestions and compliments form online.
  • If you have reported anti-social behaviour to a registered social landlord or housing association, but do not feel action has been taken please complain directly to them using their complaints procedure.

What is a community trigger?

The ASB case review, commonly known as the Community Trigger, gives victims and communities the right to request a review of their anti-social behaviour case, where the locally defined threshold is met.

The community trigger should ensure victims feel heard, give them an understanding of what is being done to help them, and build their confidence in the agencies involved. It may help agencies involved improve their processes and responses and offer solutions which have not been identified before.

The trigger does not replace the complaints procedures of individual organisations, or your opportunity to complain to the Local Government Ombudsman or Independent Police Complaints Commission. If you are unhappy with the conduct of a particular agency you should make a complaint to that organisation.

When can I use a community trigger?

The focus of the community trigger is on ongoing anti-social behaviour and should be used if you believe your complaint has not been appropriately addressed or no effective action has been taken. In Staffordshire this means community triggers are open to :

  • Individuals who have experienced at least three incidents of related ASB in the last six months

  • Groups of people (at least five individuals) in the local community who have separately reported similar incidents, where they all feel dissatisfied with the action taken and all agree that they want to raise the community trigger.

Each of the incidents referred to above needs to have been reported to a relevant agency, such as the police, council or housing association within one month of them taking place and community triggers must be requested within six months of the latest incident.

Submit a community trigger

In Staffordshire, the police are the single point of contact for the community trigger process so you should contact them if you wish to raise a community trigger. You will need to provide them with your contact details, details of the incidents you have reported and the dates you reported them.  You should call Staffordshire Police on 101 ad explain that you wish to apply for a community trigger.

Number of community triggers

In the period April 2021 – March 2022 we received 3 community triggers, 2 passed the threshold and 2 resulted in an action plan.