• Be social

Safer, Cleaner, Greener: Falmouth Town Council’s topic for February is how to deal with anti-social behaviour

Following the launch of Falmouth Town Council’s year-long Safer, Cleaner, Greener public information campaign in our pages last month, the hot topic for February is how best to deal with incidents of anti-social behaviour.

Anti-social behaviour is defined in law as that which ‘causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to one or more other persons not of the same household as the perpetrator' and is one of the biggest problems affecting Cornwall’s communities today.

From verbal abuse, vandalism, joyriding, noise nuisance and criminal damage to assault, the throwing of missiles, underage drinking and threatening behaviour, new reports of malicious, thoughtless and inconsiderate activity are submitted to the authorities every week but many more incidents remain unreported, leaving individuals to try and cope with unacceptable behaviour that can blight their personal and public lives, often resulting in severe stress.

So what can be done if you are a victim of anti-social behaviour? To which organisation should you turn?

Tackling anti-social behaviour is not just down to one person or service; it affects all sections of the community so the Police and Cornwall Council’s Public Protection team rely on you, the community, to report it. The key message is that you do not have to put up with it. The Police and Cornwall Council have a range of powers vested in them for dealing with anti-social behaviour.

If the problem concerns vandalism, graffiti, speeding vehicles or intimidating groups taking over public spaces (which are all criminal offences), please report it to the Police by the following means:

• Dial 999 if the offence is taking place and immediate action is required
• Dial 101 for non-emergencies
• Email 101@devonancornwall.pnn.police.uk (non-emergency)
• Online via https://services.devon-cornwall.police.uk/crimereporting/
• SMS/Text 67101 if you are deaf/hard of hearing/speech impaired
• Minicom/Textphone 18001 101 if you are deaf/hard of hearing/speech impaired.

You can also access further information from www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/advice/your-community/anti-social-behaviour/
Please also report all incidents of anti-social behaviour to Cornwall Council using the following methods:

• Dial 0300 1234 232
• Email communitysafety@cornwall.gov.uk
• Online via www.cornwall.gov.uk/report-it

You can also find out further details by typing ‘anti social’ into the Search box of www.cornwall.gov.uk
“This is localism in action,” explains Town Clerk, Mark Williams. “It is about us all working together to do our bit and knowing who to contact when there is a problem. Falmouth Town Council’s Safer, Cleaner, Greener campaign signposts where to go for help and advice, providing residents with a clear process and the means to make a positive difference in the town. By working in partnership, we can tackle a wide range of anti-social behaviours together, maximise our resources and take pride in the fact that Falmouth is one of the best places to live and destinations to visit.”