The Queensland Police Service (QPS) is calling on administrators and moderators of neighbourhood community Facebook groups across Queensland to provide input for an innovative new program aimed at creating safe, credible, and supportive online spaces.
The evidence-based 'Digital Community Safety Champions' (DCSC) pilot program is being developed in partnership with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and builds on the success of the QPS Community Safety Champions initiative, which empowered local champions to engage residents in meaningful community safety conversations.
Inspector Alice Carnes from the Community Safety Group highlighted the importance of the project, which is being jointly funded by the QPS and Neighbourhood Watch Queensland.
"Increasingly, people are turning to social media to report and discuss crime and safety concerns in their communities," said Inspector Carnes.
"While this can empower individuals and strengthen community bonds, it can also lead to unintended negative impacts, such as the spread of misinformation, creating fear, and discouraging people from reporting issues through official channels."
The DCSC program will help equip neighbourhood Facebook group admins and moderators with the tools and resources they need to run safe, credible and supportive online community spaces, including to:
- Address community concerns and questions about crime and safety.
- Identify and respond to scams or harmful information.
- Share accurate and timely information to encourage positive crime prevention behaviours.
- Moderate or de-escalate content that breaches group rules.
- Build trusted relationships with QPS.
As part of the program's development UTS are conducting a survey to better understand the needs and preferences of group admins and moderators related to running safe, credible and supportive online groups. Workshops will also be held to co-design tailored resources and solutions.
"We're looking forward to working directly with those managing these important online spaces," Inspector Carnes added.
"Their insights are essential to designing a program that addresses their unique challenges and helps support community safety in online spaces."
The survey is now live and open until February 2.
Neighbourhood community Facebook group admins and moderators across Queensland are invited to participate.
Scan the QR code or access the survey here bit.ly/DCSCSurvey
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.
Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
