Drugs

We recognise the impact of cannabis misuse on our communities and will investigate in cases where it is a nuisance or annoyance to others. If you suspect or witness cannabis being dealt or grown please call 101 to report it to the police as this is a criminal offence. Once you've made your report, please complete our form here or go to our customer portal, letting us know the incident report number and the details of the officer who is investigating. 

Smoking cannabis
If you can't identify where cannabis is being smoked, for example in a block of flats, we'll send a letter to that block to raise your concerns. This may also help to identify the source.

If you do know the source, we suggest that you initially speak to your neighbour and politely and calmly explain that the smell is having a negative impact on you. It's possible that they may not realise that their behaviour is affecting you and this conversation may resolve the issue. If you prefer not to talk to them directly, you can download and use our Dear Neighbour postcard.

If you've spoken to your neighbour and the problem persists, you can contact us through our portal or let us know here and we'll complete a risk assessment/questionnaire with you. Our staff are trained to identify the level of risk or harm this behaviour may be having and we must be satisfied that it's causing a nuisance before we open an investigation.

• How we treat your personal data

We'll try to engage the alleged perpetrator. This could include, but is not limited to, having an open and honest conversation with them and arranging mediation or a Good Neighbour Agreement. It's important to be aware that we'll expect whoever made the report to be fully engaged in this process. Without this our actions could be limited. 

As this type of behaviour usually affects those living close by, the source of the reports may be indirectly divulged to the perpetrator. This is especially true if, for example, there is only one adjoining property. We will discuss this with you when gathering evidence before speaking to the perpetrator.

• Learn more about how we treat your personal data
  
  

Other options

If we've engaged with the perpetrator and there has been no change in their reported behaviour, we will consider the following:

• Are we able to substantiate the report/s to identify the odorous smell caused by suspected cannabis use? This could be by a professional or from additional reports about the same perpetrator.
• Can we confirm the behaviour with the alleged perpetrator and engage them in a frank and open discussion? 
• Do the reports amount to significant enough evidence to allow us to take enforcement action, for example, have we received multiple reports about the same property and is there a change of lifestyle as a result of the odorous smell? At this point we will assess whether it's proportionate to take a more robust approach. This assessment will be completed by the case officer and their manager and in exceptional circumstances could result in action taken against the tenancy/lease. 
• Is there a reliable witness who is willing to attend court/have their evidence heard at court?
• Is there enough evidence to show that this is impacting someone's lifestyle?
• What is the evidence of having tried engagement and softer methods to deal with the issue?
• Have the police taken action?

If an alleged perpetrator uses cannabis for medicinal purposes, and even if this is supported by their GP, they can still be investigated for antisocial behaviour if how they are using it is causing a nuisance to others.

Drug use/dealing is a criminal offence and needs to be reported to the police as a crime. Once you've made your report, please contact us with the incident/crime reference number and officer's name and contact details. We can then contact them and work with you to agree the appropriate next steps.