After hearing countless stories of break-ins and local residents feeling unsafe in their own homes, Chelsea man Stuart Mason decided to do something about it.
Together with a couple of close friends, he developed Home Safe Alert — a mobile app designed to connect neighbours and provide instant help at the press of a button.
As an account manager who travels frequently for work, Stuart was increasingly worried about his wife being home alone, meanwhile his mother in-law lives in Berwick, where crime is rising.
“I was thinking about how to connect the whole street or community should any threat arise,” he said.
“We don’t condone vigilantism to any degree, but if the entire street came outside with lights on and made noise, I’m sure the perpetrators would take off.”
Stuart discussed the idea with two lifelong friends and together they brainstormed ways to make communities feel safer. Eventually, they teamed up with a developer to bring their idea to life.
Home Safe Alert enables users to report incidents (including to police), send instant emergency alerts, and receive real-time safety updates from people in their neighbourhood.
When signing up, users can nominate their local area, set quiet hours, and even add up to five trusted contacts who can be notified in case of a medical emergency — even if those contacts don’t have the app.
Mr Mason said privacy was a key consideration, noting that medical alerts are not shared publicly on the incident feed.
The app, expected to launch in the coming weeks, offers a 30-day free trial, followed by $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year — a small fee covering SMS costs.
“This isn’t about making money,” Mr Mason said. “It’ll be a long time before we even recuperate the money that has gone into it.”
Stuart has reached out to Premier Jacinta Allan, local MPs, and hopes to partner with Neighbourhood Watch and Victoria Police to explore potential collaborations.
Once the app is launched, Mr Mason intends to reach out to Victoria Police — where his daughter serves — to explore how the platform could assist in improving community safety.
He has also promoted the app locally, such as the Berwick Noticeboard Facebook page, where residents responded positively, eager for practical ways to improve safety in their streets.
The launch of Home Safe Alert comes as new figures reveal a steep rise in crime across Casey and Cardinia.
According to the Crime Statistics Agency (CSA), Cardinia Shire recorded 9,991 offences in the year to June 2025, up 27.6 per cent from 2024, while Casey saw nearly 30,000 offences, a 20.5 per cent increase over the same period.
Stuart said the rising crime shows why communities need to stay connected and proactive.
“We also believe if (the app) gets out there then it will serve as a deterrent and enforce that communities have had enough and are banding together.
“Our goal is to make safety accessible, reliable, and always within reach.”
Victoria Police warned that “social media and apps should not be used as an alternative to reporting crime”.
“If you are a witness to or the victim of a crime, call 000 first and foremost to request police assistance,” the spokesperson said.
“While members of the public may be interested in posting about crime online, it’s important that people actually report crime to their local police, allowing it to be investigated as required.”
For more details visit https://homesafealertapp.com.au
