Photo: starweekly.com.au

Victoria Police has been successfully using Eyewatch to connect with Victorians about their communities since 2012, allowing people to engage with their local police and share crime and safety information.

Currently there are more than 160,000 followers across 19 Eyewatch pages, which have been used to assist police solve burglaries, car thefts and to help find missing and wanted people.

Deputy Commissioner Andrew Crisp, who was at Melton Police Station today to launch the new page, said that Eyewatch had proven to be an effective way for police to connect with the community and fighting crime.

“Eyewatch is an open platform for the community to connect with police about a variety of issues.

“While police continue to have a visible presence in the community where they can respond to calls for assistance, Eyewatch allows us to interact with the community in Melton and Caroline Springs online.

“We understand that residents in the Melton and Caroline Springs areas may have recently been feeling concerned about safety but we want to reassure the community that we are here, we are listening to you and we are responding to your concerns.

“By working together and sharing information, police and residents can make Melton, Caroline Springs and surrounding areas safer and more connected.

“We want to encourage residents to follow the new Eyewatch page and engage with local police in a way that will benefit the whole area.”

The Eyewatch page can be accessed by the following link:

www.facebook.com/eyewatchmelton

There are plans for another seven Eyewatch pages to be rolled out by the end of 2016, with more to follow next year.

Eyewatch should not be used for reporting crime or a replacement for calling Triple Zero (000) in an emergency.