Planning is under way to set up an official Facebook page for North East police to assist with crime prevention, neighbourhood safety and solving crimes.
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A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the force had already set up more than 20 Eyewatch Facebook pages, but these were mainly based in Melbourne’s metropolitan region.
“Victoria Police intend to roll out Eyewatch pages across the state as an initiative to empower Victorians to be active participants in making their community safer,” she said.
An Eyewatch Facebook group for North East police would add to Albury Police’s page, which has more than 8000 likes.
The announcement comes as a new survey revealed North East residents are more worried about crime than healthcare for the first time since 2010.
Several crime-related online pages have gained popularity on the Border, following the demise of community watchdogs such as Neighbourhood Watch.
Facebook groups, including Albury/Wodonga Area Crime Whinge & Whine, have attracted thousands of likes, where users report alleged crimes in the city.
A smaller number of Twitter users also tap into police radio and report crime and emergency responses in real-time, such as North East Scanner.
But those listening to police radio will be blocked access from mid-2017, as the Victorian government moves to encrypt country police radios amid concerns criminals are using it to their advantage.
Outdated analogue systems, which are listened to via radios or online, will be replaced with secure digital equipment.
Emulating Neighbourhood Watch’s function, West Wodonga couple Lizette and John Salmon began compiling an email list in 2014, which is now sent to 41 per cent of the 145 homes within a one-kilometre radius of their Felltimber home.
“It was to develop a sense of community,” she said. “Incidentally, some people could post when there had been an attempted burglary.”
The Ipsos quarterly issues monitor released this week asked 750 Victorians to list what they thought were the three most critical issues facing the state from a total of 19 options.
Forty per cent of respondents listed crime as the number one issue, followed by healthcare at 36 per cent and transport at 29 per cent. Healthcare was the top priority in every other state.
