Covid-19 lockdown sparked a rise in antisocial behaviour in West Lothian

The lockdown saw a surge in complaints about bad neighbours across West Lothian, council chiefs have revealed.

Armadale

The rise in anti-social behaviour came at a time when the council’s Safer Neighbourhood Teams had to put regular working practices on hold because of Covid rules.

Team manager Alison Smith told the Services for the Community Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel ( PDSP) that lockdown had been “challenging” and made people more intolerant of anti-social behaviour, and generated more complaints.

The first quarter of 2020/21 saw a jump of 216 extra incidents year-on-year with seven of the nine council wards showing an increase - especially in Bathgate, Blackburn and Whitburn, and Armadale.

Bathgate - rise in antisocial incidents

The pandemic also impacted on the service that officers were able to provide and ability to take formal legal action was also restricted by the measures.

The lockdown had officers working from home and facing restrictions and limitations on their ability to undertake full duties in respect of interviewing, witnessing noise nuisance/ anti-social behaviour. SNT officers provided a telephone service and followed up wherever possible to engage with both complainants and perpetrators.

Officers provided advice and assistance, telephone mediation, issuing letters to residents seeking further information to assist with corroboration and also issuing warning letters where evidence was obtained.

SNT staff continued to liaise with Scottish Fire Rescue Service and with Police Scotland to access supporting information /corroboration to assist with case management. The most serious cases, SNT have consulted with Legal Services to take to court, albeit this has been limited.

Stuart Sommerville , Local Democracy Reporting Service

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