'More needs to be done' to encourage residents to report anti-social behaviour in Daventry

Despite recorded anti-social behaviour falling by 22.1 per cent last year, Daventry District Council could still make it easier for residents to report perpetrators, says Cllr Amy Howard.

Levels of anti-social behaviour are now less than a third of the level that was being reported back in March 2007, although there has been a small increase of 0.6 per cent for criminal damage in the year to the end of February.

Cllr Howard has published a final report on how the council deals with reports for the scrutiny and improvement committee, and has come up with some recommendations to try to improve the situation.

Cllr Howard says: “More needs to be done regarding anti-social behaviour as it impacts on the community generally rather than specific individuals. The environmental crimes - such as dog fouling, littering, fly tipping - generally fit into this category as some of the main concerns of the residents of this district.”

Currently residents can report anti-social behaviour online or by telephone, but Cllr Howard is recommending that such a function is added to the Daventry District Council app, which would allow people to report instances on their mobile phone or tablet.

She has also called for a review of the council’s website to make it more ‘user friendly’, saying: “The website does take a bit of time to get familiar with. However I feel this is more to do with the design not from lack of information given.”

The recommendations are set to be voted on by the improvement and scrutiny committee next Tuesday (April 2), where they will then be passed on to be approved by full council.