MEDIA RELEASE: 29 May 2026
Pressure grows to rethink police as first responders ahead of Victorian election
Ahead of the Victorian State Election, more than 170 people from across Australia came together to push for practical alternatives to police-led crisis responses.
At the national event, Alternative First Responders: Turning Ideas into Action, advocates shared real examples of how health workers, peer responders, community members and grassroots organisations are already responding to health and social needs safely without police involvement, despite limited funding and support.
Speakers said the issue is no longer whether alternatives work, but whether governments are willing to invest in them. Instead of continuing to expand policing as the default response to crisis, advocates called for long-term funding for community-led responses that are already saving lives.
Speakers included Apryl Day from the Dhadjowa Foundation, Harm Reduction Victoria, Southside Justice, Footscray Mall Friends and the Beyond Survival Project.
Apryl Day spoke about the importance of trust in keeping communities safe:
“We cannot police our way to safety. We know that care must replace criminalisation. Alternatives to police already exist, they are working and our communities already have them in place. Safety is care, it’s community, it’s dignity and it’s meeting each other with support. The challenge is whether government are willing to listen to us.”
Jess Richter from Southside Justice said:
“People who actually save lives are doing unpaid peer support work in a society where we continue to waste billions on police and prisons which are proven to be harmful. We have every right to demand better.”
The event also pointed to the success of Victoria’s public intoxication reforms and work of Aboriginal Community Controlled organisations as evidence that health-led responses, when including community leadership and community input, works but we mustn’t see this as finished business.
With the election approaching, there is a growing call for practical, community-led solutions that prioritise care, safety and dignity, and for candidates to commit to resourcing them.
Read more about Alternative First Responders.
Media Contact:
Naomi Bartram, National Justice Project
media@justice.org.au
(+61) 491 036 405
