THIRTY free places are available for Bay Islands residents who manage, or want to help manage, local Facebook community and crime groups under a Queensland Police Service digital-safety training program.
The Digital Community Champions program is open to residents of Russell, Macleay, Lamb, Coochiemudlo and North Stradbroke islands.
It is designed to give volunteer administrators and moderators practical skills to identify misinformation, manage online conflict, share trusted information and help create safer online communities.
Bayside District Crime Prevention Coordinator Sergeant Brendon Winslow said the initiative was designed to support Bay Island residents who dedicated their time to moderating and managing local online community groups.
“Our local communities don’t only gather on streets and waterways, but they come together online, with many Bay Island residents relying on Facebook groups for ferry updates, local news, missing pets, suspicious activity, neighbourhood safety and community events,” Sergeant Winslow said.
“Queensland Police understand that running these online spaces isn’t always easy, particularly given the often unseen and complex work required to keep discussions safe, productive and informative for the community.”
Facebook groups play a major role in island life, with residents using them for ferry updates, weather alerts, lost pets, local news, community events and neighbourhood safety information.
But volunteer administrators often work behind the scenes without formal training, trying to remove harmful content, settle disputes and ensure accurate information is shared.
Bay Islands residents interested in finding out more about the program can visit police.qld.gov.au/safety-and-preventing-crime/safer-together/ digital-community-champions-program.
