Community Trigger

The Community Trigger (CT) gives victims and communities the right to request a formal review of their case when they believe that they have had no response, or an unsatisfactory response, to their complaint of anti-social behaviour.

The CT is activated where the locally determined threshold is met and provides victims of persistent anti-social behaviour with the opportunity to express how the anti-social behaviour has impacted their lives, to provide them an understanding of what is being done to help and what can further be done to help in seeking a resolution.

The locally determined threshold has been defined by the Anti-social behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, citing that each local authority will determine the threshold upon which a case can be considered. Any submission of a CT must fulfil the requirements of the threshold (see process below).

The CT provides an important opportunity for victims to request a review where the repeat incidents of anti-social behaviour have been reported to the necessary agencies, the anti-social behaviour persists and there has not been a satisfactory outcome. This process should be used if you believe your complaint has not been adequately responded to.

The process

The Community Trigger is designed to allow victims of anti-social behaviour and hate incidents the right to ask agencies to review how previous reports have been responded to and consider what further actions may be taken where the behaviour persists.

The process is designed to ensure agencies work together to resolve situations of repeated ant-social behaviour. The CT ultimately helps us and you by making sure that no-one experiencing this type of behaviour is left unsupported. The process is designed to ensure that everything that can be done is being done.

The process can be used when:

  • There have been at least three separate incidents of anti-social behaviour
  • The anti-social behaviour must be reported in the last six months
  • You consider that an unsatisfactory response has been received
  • The complaints must relate to the same behaviour, nuisance or problem and must always have been reported within one month of them happening.

Any individual, business, or community group (or a representative with written consent) can activate the Community Trigger. 

A request to activate the CT must be made within six months from when the original complaint was made.

Anonymous reports do not meet the CT threshold.

How to submit a Community Trigger

Any Ealing resident, business or community group can request a Community Trigger in the following ways:

  • By email to safercommunities@ealing.gov.uk, including ‘Community Trigger request’ in the subject field
  • By letter to:
    Community Trigger - Safer communities
    Perceval House, 14-16 Uxbridge Road
    Ealing W5 2HL

For more advice, you may also reach the safer communities team by telephone: 020 8825 5994.

You will need to provide details of each time you have reported the issue, to who (name, organisation and/or incident reference number) and specific information about the repeated ASB taking place.

Please note: The Community Trigger is not a complaints process and does not replace your opportunity to complain to the Local Government Ombudsman. If you are unhappy with any council service and wish to raise a complaint, please use the council’s corporate complaints process.

Annual report on community trigger

Time period

Number of applications 
received

Number of times threshold was met

Number of times threshold was not met Number of case reviews carried out Number of case reviews resulting in recommendations
2018/19 0 0 0 0 0
2019/20 1 0 1 1 0
2020/21 3 2 1 2 2
2021/22 5 0 5 4 3