Brighton residents ‘living in fear’ following home invasions

Brighton residents are “living in fear” from recent home invasions as locals back Bec Judd’s bravery for speaking out.

Brighton residents say they are “living in fear” and have set up multiple neighbourhood watch WhatsApp groups in the wake of two recent home invasions.

Two teenagers were charged after police fired shots at a car in St Kilda after a home invasion in Cochrane St, Brighton early on Saturday morning.

It was the second home invasion in Brighton within days.

Social media influencer and lawyer Zana Pali, who lives in Brighton, said residents had created several WhatsApp groups as they were “terrified” by recent incidents.

“We are part of a neighbourhood watch WhatsApp group as we’ve had to take matters into our own hands because we don’t have the assistance,” Ms Pali said.

“We’ve also organised private security because we do feel unsafe.”

The former My Kitchen Rules star said she also agreed with Bec Judd’s recent comments about feeling “unsafe” in the suburb.

Zana Pali says residents have created several WhatsApp groups as they were ‘terrified’ by recent incidents. Picture: Mark Calleja

The former My Kitchen Rules star said she also agreed with Bec Judd’s recent comments about feeling “unsafe” in the suburb.

“I think it’s unfair that she has copped backlash, she’s just saying how we all feel and at the end of the day it’s easy to judge, but we are all living in fear,” she said.

Ms Pali said she had also received private Instagram messages from residents detailing they felt “unsafe” after experiencing aggravated burglaries.

“Break-ins are happening every second night, it’s too frequent. We need a police station in the area and a bigger police presence.”

The victim, whose home was targeted in the recent Cochrane St home invasion, told the Herald Sun the ordeal was “terrifying”.

“It was terrifying to learn that the gang had broken into our house while we were sleeping on Saturday morning and stole both our cars, with one of the cars then being involved in a police shooting,” she said.

“We don’t feel safe, there needs to be more CCTV and police patrols in the Brighton area. My car was also broken into two weeks ago and I believe it was by the same gang.”

Bec Judd voiced that she is feeling ‘unsafe’ following a spate of gang crime around Brighton.

Brighton Liberal MP James Newbury said residents living on Cochrane and Albert streets, including several other streets, had created Neighbourhood Watch WhatsApp groups.

“Bec Judd has voiced the feelings of many local women, who are scared by the recent home invasions.” he said.

One Brighton resident, who lives nearby Cochrane St, said she had also joined two WhatsApp neighbourhood watch groups in the past week.

“Neighbours feel that we need to look out for each other and it’s clear that these teenagers involved in crime are targeting Brighton,” she said.

Reality TV star Gina Liano says everyone has the right to feel safe.

Barrister and former Real Housewives of Melbourne star Gina Liano, a born and bred Brighton resident, said: “All suburbs have issues with gangs and threats and home invasions. It is a real issue, this is happening everywhere.”

“There is an increase in violence across the board and particularly violence with young men,” she said.

“Everyone has a right to feel scared and unsafe. Why condemn her (Judd) when she does? Just because someone lives in a nice house doesn’t mean they have less anxiety or feelings about things.”

Liberal MP James Newbury has accused Daniel Andrews of ‘victim blaming’.

Bec Judd’s Instagram post sparked backlash.

Victoria Police Local Area Commander Inspector Cath Wilkins said: “While we have seen a number of serious incidents recently, Bayside remains an overwhelming safe place to live”.

“While there has been an increase in offences recently, we are coming off record lows due to the pandemic, with Bayside experiencing a ten-year low in home burglaries last year and the lowest number of cars stolen since 2014,” Inspector Wilkins said.

She said Bayside last year had the second lowest number of criminal offences recorded of any suburb across metropolitan Melbourne.

“Police fully understand the impact that recent incidents may have had on the community’s overall perception of safety and it’s integral to us that people feel safe in their own home and neighbourhood”

Inspector Wilkins said in response to community concerns, it had established Operation Ibis, which targets motor vehicle theft and aggravated burglaries in the Glen Eira Bayside area, with police regularly patrolling local streets throughout the evening.