Mambourin Estate residents patrol own streets after being terrorised by teen thugs

Residents in an estate near Werribee are policing their own streets, fed up with machete-wielding teenage thugs terrorising the area “almost every night”.

Terrified locals in Melbourne’s west are patrolling their own streets at night as a group of machete-wielding teenage thugs terrorise residents “almost every night”.

Several members of the Mambourin Estate near Werribee are so fed up with the “frightening” trend that they now police their own streets between 9pm and 3am each night.

Kristy Williams, one of the residents who patrols the estate at night, says fellow locals are too scared to leave their homes. Picture: Josie Hayden

They say one particular gang, believed to be aged between 15 and 21 years old, continue to target homes and cars in the estate brandishing huge weapons in the streets.

Kristy Williams, one of the residents who patrols the estate at night, says fellow locals are too scared to leave their homes and are being driven out of their own area.

She had thousands of dollars worth of valuables stolen after her car was broken into as early as Saturday morning.

CCTV footage shows crimes being committed in Mambourin Estate in Melbourne's west. Picture: Supplied

“This group is extremely dangerous. If they’re walking around the streets with machetes, what can they do to us?,” she told the Herald Sun.

“We’ve got to take it on our own accord and we’re in danger.

“It’s mainly just to scare them off and to keep the area safe.

“It’s getting beyond a joke now.”

A car in the estate being broken into by a hooded individual. Picture: supplied ,

The mother of two young children says the group will often target homes and cars during the night but one trend in particular has her “frightened”.

“If we’re driving to work in the morning, there can sometimes be groups of them standing in the middle of the road trying to stop us to steal our cars,” she added.

“Most of the people in our estate are single mothers, they don’t want to be confronted by them, they’re really scared.

“They’re jumping back fences, trying all doors, it’s really bad.”

Kristy Williams says locals are being driven out of the area. Picture: Josie Hayden

Police Minister Anthony Carbines on Monday urged Victorians not to “take the law into their own hands”.

“What’s important to understand is that Victoria police work 24/7 and emergency responses are available via triple zero at all times to all Victorians,” he said.

“No one should take matters into their own hands.”

Mr Carbines said police had “very sophisticated and strong engagement” through neighbourhood watch, online iWatch services and local commanders in the western suburbs.

Several confronting CCTV clips from across the estate show a masked group walking up to homes with machetes and other weapons.

The Herald Sun last year revealed that fearful residents were hiring their own 24-hour private security to patrol neighbourhoods across the suburbs.

Wyndham Vale’s Jubilee estate, just a few kilometres from the Mambourin Estate, introduced the around-the-clock security measures in response to a spike in aggravated burglaries and thefts.

The most recent crime data shows a 7.2 per cent rise in crime in the Wyndham area.

Homes were by far the most common place crimes were committed and stealing from a motor vehicle was one of the highest recorded offences in the area.

In Wyndham, which covers the Mambourin Estate, more than 52 per cent of alleged crimes remain unsolved.