Street care and cleaning Environmental crime reports

What is an environmental crime report (ECR)?

This is a form an officer can issue to report an environmental crime they have witnessed take place. In order to minimise the risk of a confrontational situation, the majority of officers will issue an ECR to an offender at the time the offence is witnessed, rather than a fixed penalty notice (FPN).

What happens after an ECR has been issued?

Quality control checks, such as checking the offender's name and address, will be carried out, and then an FPN will generally be sent through the post. If it is decided not to serve an FPN on that occasion, a warning letter explaining the reason why will be sent instead. This will normally happen within ten days of the time of the offence, although if further investigation is required the timescale may be extended.