Resolved anti-social behaviour cases plummet
Resolutions of anti-social behaviour cases in council homes across the Highlands have halved since last year.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service collated figures from across Highland Council’s area committees this year and found just 31 per cent of cases reported to the council are resolved on average.
Reports of behaviour can vary from noise disturbances to criminal accusations. The council is obliged to deal with the complaint and come to a resolution, but recent numbers have taken a sharp drop.
In the second half of last year, 495 cases were recorded across the Highlands and an average of 66 per cent were resolved.
In the first half of 2024, around 192 cases of anti-social behaviour were reported to the council, but just 31 per cent on average have been resolved.
Higher population areas reported more cases, but also had a higher percentage of resolutions.
There is, however, an overall trend across all the regions highlighting a significant change in case resolutions compared to 2023.
The Black Isle and Easter Ross is one of the best performing Highland areas, with 58 per cent of its anti-social behaviour cases resolved in the second quarter of 2024.
Contrastingly, Dingwall and Seaforth have seen none of their reported cases resolved this year.
Some areas, including Skye and Raasay and Badenoch and Strathspey, have had no reported cases this year so far.
There may be some carry over from more complex cases still to be resolved from last year.
A council report said: “Tackling anti-social behaviour is a key priority for the local housing team. The management of cases is often complex, involving other services and agencies.”
Speaking at an area meeting, principal housing officer Fiona Shand said: “Although you can see that these cases haven’t been resolved, that doesn’t mean they aren’t actively being managed.
“For example, if we have a drugs related case, we would have to wait for action to be taken, so it means the length of time taken to resolve that case can be longer.
“Our officers focus on the service they provide the victims rather than the speedy closure of the cases.”
Councillor Angela MacLean said: “Anti-social behaviour is a big issue in many of our communities. It would be good if we could improve it with our community planning partners and other housing providers.”
Highland council has been contacted for comment.
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