What is a CPN?

Last week, I sent out information about Closure Orders, this week, I want to tell you about Community Protection Notices.  

In the Scarborough area, Community Protection Notices (CPN’s) are generally given by North Yorkshire Council. They are given to a person aged 16 or over, business, or organisation committing anti-social behaviour which spoils the community’s quality of life.   

A written warning for a CPN must be given prior to a full notice to be issued, allowing enough time for the person, business or organisation to rectify the behaviour. Within the warning, there would be notification of consequences of continuation.  

The CPN can include requirements to stop things, do things, or take reasonable steps to avoid further anti-social behaviour.  

An example of a CPN/warning could be:  

Suspect of continued anti-social behaviour within a property. They have been spoken to by the housing landlord, but with no reduction of their behaviour, which includes music being played at all times of the night, drunken behaviour and urination in the communal areas.  

The landlord and council would conduct visits to the neighbours and the wider community, requesting diary sheets to evidence the impact on the community. With enough information/evidence, the suspect would then receive a CPN warning. This may tell the suspect that they are to cease the anti-social behaviour. This may also tell the suspect that they need to seek support via an agency such as Horizons, which deal with alcohol abuse.  

Information would be provided as to the consequences going forward and if the warning was ignored, a notice would be issued. Breaching a CPN is a criminal offence which could result in a fine.  

The housing landlord may also seek to pursue their own warning protocols or pursue a tenancy termination.  

Multi-agency working and collaboration is key for this process to work efficiently. Some residents report incidents to social housing, others may report to the council/police, where as some, suffer in silence.  

You may see our Project Community engagements in Scarborough. This is where we join with Community Safety Officers from North Yorkshire Council and other partners, such as housing, to visit areas where anti-social behaviour is reported. These visits allow officers to gather the information and assess whether CPN’s or other powers under the ASB, Crime and Policing Act 2014 are required as an intervention.  

Kind Regards  

Sasha Twyford

PCSO