crime stoppers wa & neighbourhood watch

Don’t just post it.
Report it. 

A META digital campaign for Crime Stoppers WA and Neighbourhood Watch that redirected community crime reporting from Facebook groups to official channels — and delivered the highest website traffic in Crime Stoppers WA campaign history.

Client

Crime Stoppers Western Australia

Partner agency

Neighbourhood Watch WA

Endorsed by

WA Police Force

Services delivered

Advertising Strategy Video Production Media Planning Digital Campaign Management

Market

Perth & Western Australia

Project Overview

The right information
in the right hands.

Crime Stoppers WA and Neighbourhood Watch identified a growing problem: community members were posting crime-related activity — suspicious behaviour, drug activity, theft captured on home CCTV — to local Facebook groups instead of reporting it through official channels. The information was reaching neighbours, but not Police.

Sixteen By Nine was engaged to develop a digital advertising campaign that changed this behaviour — redirecting community intelligence to Crime Stoppers WA, where it could actually be acted upon. Four scenario-based video executions were developed, researched against the most common crime types reported in community groups, and distributed across META over a four-week period.

  • Four distinct scenarios — parcel theft, drug activity, car theft, and a rural version
  • Targeting Perth metro residents 18+ with consideration for CALD audiences
  • 159% increase in Crime Stoppers WA website traffic — highest ever for a campaign

Campaign Objective

"Facebook is not an avenue for sharing information to Police."

→

Increase awareness of Crime Stoppers as the trusted reporting channel

→

Drive traffic to Crime Stoppers WA website and Eyes on the Street App

→

Empower the community as active, lawful custodians of neighbourhood safety

The Insight

Community action.
Wrong channel.

The insight behind this campaign wasn't about community apathy — it was about misdirected intent. People were already engaged, already sharing, already wanting to help. They just needed to be shown a better way to do it. The campaign didn't ask people to do more. It asked them to do the same thing differently.

The Problem

Facebook ≠ a crime report

Community Facebook groups had become a default destination for reporting suspicious behaviour and crime — but posts to neighbours don't reach Police. Valuable intelligence was being shared publicly and then lost.

The Solution

Anonymous. Trusted. Actionable.

Crime Stoppers WA offers a safe, anonymous channel — online, by phone, or via the Eyes on the Street app. The campaign made the alternative visible and simple, removing barriers and building confidence in the reporting process.

The Approach

Scenario-based, research-led

Four executions were developed around the most commonly reported crime types in community Facebook groups — parcel theft, drug activity, and car theft — plus a dedicated rural version to reach regional Western Australians.

The Campaign

Four scenarios.
One message.

Each execution was built around a real-world scenario that community members would immediately recognise from their own Facebook feeds — then redirected them to take an action that would actually make a difference.

Execution 01

Parcel Theft

One of the most commonly shared crime types in neighbourhood Facebook groups — a relatable scenario that made the campaign immediately relevant to everyday Western Australians.

Execution 02

Drug Activity

Suspicious activity and drug-related behaviour is frequently posted to community groups. This execution highlighted the importance of anonymous reporting to ensure the right people receive the information.

Execution 03

Car Theft

Items stolen from vehicles is among the most commonly reported property crimes in Perth neighbourhoods. Home CCTV footage of these incidents regularly circulates on Facebook — without ever reaching Police.

Execution 04

Rural Version

A dedicated rural execution ensured the campaign reached regional Western Australians — communities where distance from Police can make anonymous reporting through Crime Stoppers an even more important option.

Results & Outcomes

The highest-performing
campaign in their history.

The campaign exceeded all expectations. Over a four-week META distribution period, the four executions reached over 161,000 Western Australians and generated more than 668,000 impressions — converting awareness into real action.

The landing page linked to Crime Stoppers WA received the highest traffic ever recorded for a Crime Stoppers campaign — a 159% increase on previous campaign benchmarks. More community members found the right channel. More reports reached Police.

159% increase

Crime Stoppers WA website traffic — the highest ever recorded for any campaign.

161k

Total reach

669k

Impressions

25k

Total link clicks

25,071 people clicked through to take action — report, download the app, or learn more.

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