The Community Trigger in Durham: How to force action on repeat anti-social behaviour

If Durham anti-social behaviour keeps happening on your street, it can feel like you’re shouting into the wind. You report it, you get a reference number, and then life carries on as normal for the people causing the trouble.

The community trigger durham process (now usually called an ASB Case Review or anti-social behaviour case review) exists for moments like that. It’s a formal way to demand a proper, joined-up response when repeat ASB hasn’t been tackled.

Below is a plain-English guide to how it works in Durham, what to prepare, and a simple request template included at the end to help you take action immediately.

What the Community Trigger is (and what it isn’t)

The Community Trigger is the name many people still use for the Anti-social Behaviour (ASB) Case Review. It was created under the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014, giving victims the right to request that agencies sit down together and re-check what’s been done. This statutory right for victims is outlined in the Home Office statutory guidance.

Think of it like calling a “case huddle” when the usual system keeps passing you from desk to desk.

In Durham, the locally defined threshold is clearly set out by public bodies. It is based on the frequency of complaints, such as reporting the same problem three times in the last six months, and the potential harm to the victim, including incidents that cause harassment, alarm or distress. If the behaviour continues because little has changed, you can ask for a review. Durham guidance is explained by both the council and local oversight bodies, including police and crime commissioners, via the Durham County Council ASB Case Review page and the Durham Police and Crime Commissioner ASB Case Review guidance.

A few points that often surprise people:

• You don’t have to be the only victim. A household, a business, or a wider group can qualify.
• A third party request is permitted if you provide consent (a family member, councillor, or support worker can act for you).
• It’s not about being “more annoying” than the other person. It’s about harm, repeat reports, and whether responses have worked.

The ASB Case Review isn’t a replacement for reporting incidents. It’s what you use after repeated reports haven’t stopped the problem.

For the national overview, including what a case review is meant to achieve, see the GOV.UK guidance on ASB case reviews.

Before you request a case review, build a “clear trail” of proof

A case review is easier to trigger when your reports look like a neat paper trail, not a pile of stress. That trail also helps agencies identify victims and see patterns, like time of day, repeat offenders, or escalation.

First, keep reporting each incident through the right channel:

• If there’s immediate danger, call 999.
• If it’s not an emergency, report to the police via 101 or online.
• Report housing-related ASB to your registered providers of social housing or managing agent.
• Report environmental issues (rubbish, noise linked to premises, vandalism in public space) to the local authority where relevant.

Next, keep your own short incident log. Two lines is enough. Note date, time, what happened, who it affected, and what you did (reported to police, spoke to landlord, and so on). If you can, ask for and record reference numbers every time. Maintaining an incident log is crucial for demonstrating the frequency of complaints, which helps meet the threshold for a case review.

This quick table shows what usually helps most.

What to collect	Examples	Why it helps
Report references	Police incident numbers, council ticket IDs	Proves repeat reporting
Simple incident diary	Dates, times, brief description	Shows pattern and frequency
Evidence (when safe)	Photos of damage, screenshots of threats	Supports your account
Victim impact	Sleep loss, fear to leave home, business disruption	Shows victim impact, not just annoyance
Witness support	Neighbours willing to confirm	Adds weight without drama

Also, avoid putting yourself at risk to “get evidence”. If filming would inflame things, don’t do it. Your safety comes first.

This approach fits a wider point about public services: people deserve to feel safe, and systems should respond to the law-abiding first. In local politics, that same principle also applies to basics people notice every day, from street safety to fixing potholes quickly and cost-effectively.

How to request the Community Trigger in Durham (step-by-step)

Once you’ve got the threshold met, the aim is to make it easy for the lead agency to say “yes, this qualifies” and start the review.

Use this order:

1. Check your dates to exercise your right to request: confirm you meet the threshold of three complaints in the last six months about the same ongoing issue.
2. Choose where to submit: Durham residents can start with the council’s ASB Case Review route (it then pulls in the relevant bodies such as police and housing partners as needed). Use the council guidance page to follow the current process: Ongoing problems with anti-social behaviour (Case Review).
3. Write a short summary: one paragraph on the ongoing problem, then a list of the three (or more) reports with dates and reference numbers.
4. State what you want: not “do something”, but “please hold a multi-agency case review and provide an action plan with owners and timescales”.
5. Ask for updates in writing: request confirmation of whether the threshold is met, and how you’ll be told the outcome.

Durham’s published process also explains that, after a request, checks are made to confirm whether the threshold is reached. The Durham PCC information notes an initial assessment period, including checking qualifying complaints, which sets expectations for prompt handling.

If you’re dealing with threats, violence, or criminal damage happening right now, report that immediately as a police matter. The case review is for repeat problems that haven’t been resolved, not emergencies.

If the multi-agency case review goes ahead, the relevant bodies should share relevant information, look at what actions have already been tried, and agree what happens next, with the responsible agencies working together through a problem-solving approach. That can include stronger tools, better victim contact, or tighter follow-up. The goal is simple: stop the cycle of behaviour, not just file it.

Simple request template for ASB Case Review (copy and edit)

Use this as an email or letter. Keep it calm and factual.

Subject: Request for anti-social behaviour case review (Community Trigger), ongoing anti-social behaviour at [your area]

Hello,

I’m requesting an anti-social behaviour case review (Community Trigger) for ongoing anti-social behaviour affecting me and my household at:

Address: [your address]
Location(s) affected: [street, block, nearby alley, park, shop frontage]
Preferred contact details: [phone and email]

Summary of the ongoing problem
Since [month/year], I have experienced repeated anti-social behaviour, including [brief examples: harassment, loud nuisance, intimidation, vandalism, drug-related activity, threatening behaviour]. The impact has been [fear to leave home, disturbed sleep, damage, stress, impact on children, impact on business].

Reports made (threshold met)
I have reported the same ongoing issue at least three times in the last six months, and the problem continues. Details:

• [Date] reported to [police/council/landlord], reference: [ref]
• [Date] reported to [police/council/landlord], reference: [ref]
• [Date] reported to [police/council/landlord], reference: [ref]

(If helpful: I can provide an incident diary and supporting evidence.)
I believe this situation constitutes a qualifying complaint under the locally defined threshold.

What I’m asking for
Please confirm receipt of this request, confirm whether the threshold is met, and arrange an ASB Case Review. I’d also like a written outcome, including what actions will be taken, who is responsible for each action, and when they will happen.

Thank you,
[Your full name]
[Your address]
[Your date of birth, if requested by the form]

Conclusion: safety should be normal, not a luxury

Persistent anti-social behaviour chips away at daily life for residents, one incident at a time. The Community Trigger (ASB Case Review), also known as the anti-social behaviour case review, is your way to push relevant bodies to act together; they must provide victim support throughout the process, with the facts on the table, a plan in writing, and publishing data on the number of reviews as required under statutory guidance to ensure transparency.

Durham deserves streets where law-abiding people can live without fear, and where public bodies focus on core duties, not distractions. If you want a local movement that backs zero tolerance on persistent ASB, stronger neighbourhood policing, and real accountability, Join Reform UK, Vote Reform UK, and help Make Britain Great Again.