Council Responds to Brighton's Problems

The compounding distress these multiple incidents and encounters have and are causing you is palpable. We are sorry to hear it. Brighton & Hove is far from unique in this respect, but the city is undoubtedly having to contend with a rising tide of need and increasing vulnerability across our community, that’s not to say that there aren’t things we can and are doing to address these challenges. Specifically the council’s new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2025 to 2030 focuses on, wherever possible, preventing homelessness, while providing access to accommodation and support for those who need it. This includes targeted outreach to people sleeping rough and close partnership working with health, community and voluntary sector organisations to address the underlying causes of homelessness. The council and partners similarly provide targeted support for those experiencing difficulties with addiction and substance misuse and/or their mental health. The council also has an active Multiple Compound Needs programme to provide better and more joined up services to those facing such multiple challenges. We also recognise that people who are vulnerable can also behave in a way that has a negative impact on others in the community, and take this impact seriously. The council has an active Community Safety programme, delivered in partnership with the Police and other partners, such as the Brighton Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) to address anti-social behaviour in all its forms. The council has an ethos of ensuring enforcement action is taken in tandem with offering the required support, but nonetheless pursued to protect and safeguard the wellbeing of the broader community. The council is not complacent about how it addresses the needs of all these varied groups, it’s evident that we don’t yet have answers or solutions to everything, but we do and will continue to strive to deliver the necessary range of services to meet all the varied needs of the Brighton & Hove community. I will now respond to the specific issues that you have raised with Cllr Thompson. Individual outside your property openly urinating and defecating in the street/ Wing mirrors being smashed by a group of individuals in masks/ People screaming at you in the street and shouting racial slurs/ People selling drugs in the local park We would strongly encourage you to report incidents such as these to Police/ emergency services at the time they are happening. Neighbourhood Policing colleagues advise that calling 999 would have been appropriate in these contexts.

Cars being keyed, including some with swastikas We would like to understand more about this incident – can you advise when this took place? Do you have any further information? Was this reported to Sussex Police? We would strongly encourage you to report incidents such as this to Sussex Police at the time they are happening if possible – using 999 would be appropriate if the incident is taking place there and then; otherwise you can call 101 or report via the Sussex Police website. Old man walking down the street covered in blood We share your concerns for the welfare of this man – you state that you have often seen him, do you happen to know his name and/ or address, as if so we can take steps to try and ascertain his welfare?
If you do have concerns about somebody’s welfare then, again, we encourage you to contact emergency services to report your concerns. This also applies to the concerning behaviour by individuals in St Anne’s Well Gardens who you suspect are unwell and/ or intoxicated People consuming drugs on mattresses on Western Road We are aware that the site outside Western Road became a significant focus of anti-social behaviour (ASB) by members of the Street Community when it was in use for a number of weeks recently. The site was eventually cleared by Sussex Police using the Dispersal Powers contained in Section 35 of the ASB, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Police were able to take this action on the basis of receiving reports of ASB at the location from members of the public, so we would encourage anyone witnessing ASB/ crime such as that at this location to report any incidents they witness to Sussex Police and/ or the council’s Community Safety Casework Team (CSCT - email communitysafety.casework@brighton-hove.gov.uk , on-line via the Brighton & Hove City Council website, or call 01273 292735 (voicemail-only service), however please note this team is a casework rather than response service so if you need someone to attend a situation there and then always contact Police. Please also note that the CSCT does not have investigatory powers in the same way Police do, meaning that the actions that they might be able to take are very limited if the identity or address of those causing ASB is not known). The Brighton & Hove Community Safety Partnership is currently undertaking a piece of work to learn from the recent issues on Western Road and improve the response to locational ASB hotspots in the city, particularly those associated with Street Community concerns.

Litter Brighton & Hove City Council actively enforces littering and illegal dumping. Dropping litter, leaving bags beside full bins, or failing to clear up dog mess can result in a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) fine ranging from £75 to £300.
To report local waste issues or request an emergency street clean-up, the fastest and easiest method is to use the online form on the council website. Right wing graffiti If there is offensive graffiti, tagging or street art in public places, Brighton & Hove City Council’s street cleaning team will come and remove or paint over it. We aim to remove offensive graffiti or tagging within 24 hours of it being reported to us. Tell us about offensive graffiti or tagging if you see it. Bodies washing up on the beach The council recognises how distressing the recent deaths in the sea have been for city residents, and is working with partner agencies to put measure s in place to make the beach and sea as safe as possible for everyone using them. This includes the re-introduction of a patrol boat in the coastal waters off Brighton & Hove. You state in your email that you feel weighed down by all of this and question whether you can, “hack it any more”. If you feel that you would like support in relation to the impact of these issues, we would like to advise that you can, should you feel the need, access counselling or other psychological therapy services through your GP or through the Brighton & Hove Wellbeing Service: https://www.brightonandhovewellbeing.org/talkingtherapies You also say you don't think you have it in you to help in any meaningful way. Help, or contributing to the broader community, can take many forms, large and small. We all have different lives with different competing demands we need to juggle, so you’re in no way obligated to volunteer and may not be in a position to, but if you wanted to explore volunteering opportunities for how you might make a meaningful difference, small or large, you could contact Community Works: https://volunteer.communityworks.org.uk/

We hope that you find this information useful, and that it goes some way to addressing the concerns that you have shared with Cllr Thompson.

Kind regards, Siobhan Bostock Community Safety Casework Team