Defining Community Safety “Safety is care, it’s community, it’s dignity and it’s meeting each other with support.” (Apryl Day, Dhadjowa Foundation) The term ‘community safety’ is often thrown around as …
July 2, 2026
Having a mental health crisis is not a crime
July 2, 2026
The AFR team stood alongside BEING – the peak body for mental health consumers in NSW – Leesa Topic (mother of Courtney Topic), Nichole and Sharee (cousins of Jodi Knott) …
AFR Team – Blog
April 2, 2026
Reach out and ask
April 2, 2026
On Friday, 6 February 2026, we had the privilege of welcoming the new cohort of first year law students starting at the University of Technology (UTS), as part of O-Week. Side-by-side with …
AFR Team – Blog
March 19, 2026
This World Storytelling Day – Pledge Your Story
March 19, 2026
In the Alternative First Responder position paper we share the data and research behind the issues and harms caused by status quo policing and the impacts that can have on individuals and whole communities. These patterns of police …
March 9, 2026
More than ambulances replacing police: What does better crisis response look like?
March 9, 2026
Dr Chris Maylea is a social worker, lawyer, and Professor of Law at La Trobe University. He has practice experience in mental health services as a social worker and manager, …
Dr Chris Maylea and Dr Panos Karanikolas – Blog, Opinion Piece
January 29, 2026
Alternative First Responders in Australia: Impact, Advocacy and Lessons from 2025
January 29, 2026
As we arrive in 2026, we wanted to reflect on how far this work has come, the lessons learned along the way, and the collective effort that brought us here. Alternative First Responder …
AFR Team – Blog
January 13, 2026
Beyond police in mental health crisis: centring First Nations leadership and community-driven care
January 13, 2026
When someone is experiencing psychological distress, the response they receive can mean the difference between safety and traumatisation. For too long, Australia has defaulted to the police as first responders …
Danelle Lever, Knowmore Legal Services – Blog, Opinion Piece
November 10, 2025
Building an Ecosystem of Care
November 10, 2025
When looking at the numerous contexts and communities that stand to benefit from the establishment of alternative first responders, the area of mental health is hard to ignore. It is …
AFR Team – Blog
September 8, 2025
Housing not hyper-policing
September 8, 2025
Across the world, cities that have reduced punitive enforcement and increased funding into social services, housing and community, have seen decreased numbers of people experiencing homelessness. Makes sense, doesn’t it? …
August 4, 2025
Grounded insight from the frontline: Keeping people safe and supported with the right response
August 4, 2025
When we began exploring the scope and impact of current criminal justice responses, people experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence – and the organisations that support them – were pivotal …
AFR Team, CAAFLU, CTBMCLC – Blog
RELATED MEDIA
- Carly couldn’t get the healthcare she needed. She almost didn’t make it home, 1 July, Sydney Morning Herald
- Open Letter Signed: having a mental health crisis is not a crime, 24 June, Being – NSW peak body for mental health consumers
- AFR Campaign Lead delivers speech outside NSW Parliament, 24 June, Being – NSW peak body for mental health consumers
- AFR Advocate interview, 3CR Radio, 30 June, 3CR Radio
- Inside Australia’s Mental Health System, 23 June, Farrago Magazine
- Alternatives to Police as First Responders, 18 June, About Time Magazine
- 3CR Radio Interview with AFR Campaign Lead, 2 June, 3CR Radio
- Why Australia Needs Alternative First Responders, 1 June, ABC Radio
- Why public confidence in the police and justice system is plunging, 25 May, Sydney Morning Herald
- No funding spent under $842 million NT remote Aboriginal services agreement, documents reveal, 25 May, National Indigenous Times
- Kimberley Aboriginal community sets new blueprint for health and wellbeing, 16 March, National Indigenous Times
- AFR Campaign Lead Interview with 4ZZZ Radio, 7 March, 4ZZZ Radio
- Centring community and care: why Australia needs an alternative to police-first responses 11 October, Cheek Media
