Toward a Local Safety Network (LSN)
Jesse J. Fleay, Editor-in-Chief, Research and Policy
Community safety is strongest when it is built from the ground up. A federally funded Local Safety Network (LSN) would provide citizens with lawful, democratic pathways to address extremism, prevent violence, and strengthen trust at the grassroots level.
Extremism rarely grows in isolation. Extremist ideologies thrive where people feel excluded, disconnected, or unheard. Too often, responses have relied on top-down surveillance or punitive policing, which can alienate communities rather than strengthen them. An LSN model would instead place emphasis on inclusion, dialogue, and shared responsibility where tensions become apparent.
Under this proposal, local governments, schools, faith groups, unions, and community organisations would be supported by federal funding to establish permanent safety forums which can foster more trust and national cohesion. This approach would allow counter-terrorism measures to allocate their funding and activities to the more immediate threats, especially in an age of international interference and information warfare, not yet experienced among Australians. LSN networks would:
Provide safe reporting channels for citizens to raise concerns about extremist activity or threats to community safety without fear of reprisal, nor stigma.
Deliver education and prevention programs tailored to local needs, focused on countering misinformation, fostering digital literacy, and promoting civic inclusion.
Build partnerships between communities and law enforcement, ensuring that responses to extremism are transparent, accountable, and community-led rather than imposed.
Support resilience initiatives such as youth leadership programs, neighbourhood mediation services, and cross-cultural exchanges that reduce division and strengthen social fabric.
Federally funded but locally driven, an LSN would ensure resources reach the communities most in need while respecting democratic freedoms and civil rights. This is not about policing thought, it is about empowering people to safeguard their communities from violence and fear. The LSN approach relies on freedom, and self-determination, where Australians feel able to act on injustice or threatening behaviour in the community.
By creating a lawful, trusted structure for citizens to address extremism and insecurity together, Australia can move beyond reactive measures and invest in long-term resilience. Local safety networks would embody fairness, participation, and trust. The Australian Prosperity Institute defends the position that these are the true foundations of a secure and inclusive nation.
