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 …
May 14, 2026
The Alternative First Responders Kitchen Table Conversation Toolkit
May 14, 2026
On Tuesday 12 May, The Alternative First Responder Team launched The Kitchen Table Conversation Toolkit with The Law Reform and Justice (LRSJ) Program, ANU at the Food Co-op & Shop, in Canberra. …
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 31, 2026
Young people deserve support, not police force
March 31, 2026
SUBMISSION SUMMARY In March 2026, the Alternative First Responders (AFR) Team put forward a submission to the New South Wales (NSW) Select Committee on Youth Justice advocating for the …
AFR Team – News, Submission
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
March 5, 2026
Election Explainer South Australia 2026
March 5, 2026
Ahead of the South Australia state elections, we’ve created an election explainer to clearly outline where each political party stands on issues related to alternative first responders and community safety. …
AFR Team – News
February 19, 2026
Open Letter: Investment in Alternative First Responders
February 19, 2026
South Australia’s political leaders are being urged to rethink how community safety is funded, with a growing demand for care-led alternatives to policing that prevent harm. Alternative First Responders are not new, they are …
AFR Team – Formal Statement
February 9, 2026
Inquiry into Australia’s youth justice and incarceration system
February 9, 2026
Alternative First Responders Submission Summary In December 2025, the Alternative First Responder Team put forward a submission to the inquiry, with a focus on Terms of Reference 2B: evidence of …
AFR Team – Formal Statement, Submission
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
RELATED MEDIA
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- Queensland breach bail, go to jail laws face heavy criticism in parliament submissions, 12 September 2026, ABC News
- NSW Police under pressure over brutality, 11 September 2026, ABC News
- Aboriginal Legal Service receives funding boost for vital work, 10 September 2026, National Indigenous Times
- SA Coroner’s Court calls for independent watchdog for SA Police, 8 September 2026, Herald Sun
- Darwin shelter closure ‘directly undermines’ homelessness strategy, 7 September 2026, National Indigenous Times
- Work safety watchdog issues notices to Queensland Police Service over watch house conditions, 2 September 2026, ABC News
- Aboriginal Legal Service ‘alarmed and disappointed’ as NSW Premier doubles down on ‘oppressive’ police surveillance 28 August 2026, National Indigenous Times
- Centring community and care: why Australia needs an alternative to police-first responses 11 October 2025, Cheek Media
