BRIMBANK police are taking their fight against crime to social media.
Residents may have spotted a new arrival on Facebook in the form of the Brimbank Eyewatch page, with an account also popping up on Twitter.
Brimbank’s Inspector Michael Grainger said the pilot program was being trialled in five areas across the state and already gaining some great input from the public.
The pilot is modelled on successful programs in NSW and the UK and gives police a fresh way to connect with the community.
“I’m very excited by this because we have already has some great suggestions from members of the public,” Inspector Grainger said.
Discussions have already built around situations such as whether police should be giving drivers tickets or letting them off with a warning.
A post on a police operation in Albion prompted suggestions for other areas police may want to target in future.
People have also commented on incidents such as last week’s hit-run in Sunshine.
“We are about informing the community about key issues and trying to deal with local policing,” Inspector Grainger said.
“Australians have a bit of a fascination with technology and there is something like 11 million Facebook users in the country, so this is a way of tapping into that locally.”
The chance to connect with young people is particularly appealing.
“I think it opens up a whole plethora of opportunities.”
The success of the two-month pilot will be assessed before a decision is made whether to roll out the project statewide, with Inspector Grainger hopeful it will get the thumbs up.
Visit Brimbank Eyewatch via facebook.com/eyewatchbrimbankpsa.
