Field Officers dealt with thousands of cases across the city last year, responding to concerns ranging from noise nuisance to fly-tipping.
As part of ASB Awareness Week, one of our Field Officers explains more about the team’s work.
“The council’s Field Officer Team was launched in 2018 with the aim of working seven days a week, taking council services to residents and tackling issues and concerns raised by residents and businesses.
“Since then we’ve been involved in a variety of tasks and roles and worked with numerous council teams and thousands of residents.
“We’ve investigated noise and planning complaints, offered support and advice to rough sleepers, attended community meetings and have even on occasion gone shopping for vulnerable residents, and helped deliver food parcels to residents shielding as part of the response to COVID-19.
“The team’s wide remit has meant that we regularly speak to residents and businesses affected by anti-social behaviour.
“Whether it’s a complaint about a resident playing loud music continually affecting their neighbours, or carrying out patrols and visits to parks and seafront areas following complaints of noise from drumming and sound systems being used outdoors.
“We have recently been carrying out joint visits with the police and COVID marshals to the seafront area around the i360 over the evening at weekends, as many local residents have recently complained about noise from people gathered in these areas.
“We’ve found that it’s about balancing people’s right to enjoy themselves with the right of local residents not to be disturbed by noise, and reminding people where their actions are affecting their neighbours and asking them to be more mindful, and trying to only use enforcement action after this hasn’t worked."
“As part of the work the team does with rough sleepers, we have found that unfortunately some tents pitched in the centre of the city can become the focus for anti-social behaviour.
“We liaise with the street outreach service which helps rough sleepers and, if tents are empty, or being used as meeting points during the day by people who are housed elsewhere, we arrange to have these areas cleared and cleaned.
“Again, compassion and balance is vital, respecting and helping those who are homeless and working with the outreach teams with the intention of getting housed, while keeping the streets clean and safe for other residents and visitors to the city.”
The team work across council services such as planning, environmental health and housing to respond quickly to issues reported by residents through the services’ usual routes.
