NHW WA WESTERN AUSTRALIA
The Power of One In 2017 Karen Turner turned to Facebook to engage residents in Carey Park to address the rise of antisocial and criminal activity happening in the suburb. Realising the power of sharing information Karen set up separate groups for different parts of the suburb, resulting in 45 different pages operating for one suburb, all being encouraged to share information and report to Police. Today, the Carey Park Residents Facebook page has nearly 6,000 followers and the number of incidents posted have decreased significantly. What initially started as a forum for residents to share information and raise awareness in the neighbourhood has bought the community closer together. “As well as sharing information, we wanted the residents to get to know each other, and it worked. People know who their neighbours are. People are not afraid anymore to open their front doors or say hello to people.” Through constant education encouraging reporting to Police as well as sharing to the page, residents now self-regulate and administer posts. Anyone who hasn’t reported to Police is encouraged by the community to report to Police so that Police are also aware of what is happening in their community. Karen said the change in attitude from the residents was one of the most significant things she noticed over the two years, where people visibly care about their community and the people who live in it, and it is now reflected in the messages being posted.
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NHWA JOURNAL APRIL 2020
Carey Park resident Karen Turner
“As well as sharing information, we wanted the residents to get to know each other, and it worked. People know who their neighbours are. People are not afraid anymore to open their front doors or say hello to people.”
Town hall meeting
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