State of fear: Victorians being ‘driven to vigilantism’

A retired homicide squad detective, now security risk consultant, says many Victorians are living in so much fear amid rising home invasions and youth gangs, they believe they have no choice but to defend themselves.

A former top cop believes Victorians are being “driven to become vigilantes” because police and the courts can’t manage the state’s spiralling violent crime, and residents are living in so much fear they think they have no choice but to protect themselves.

Retired homicide squad detective and now security risk consultant Charlie Bezzina told the Herald Sun Victorians were “fed up”, and some were taking the law into their own hands as a consequence, sometimes with tragic consequences.

The most recently released Crime Statistics Agency data for Victoria (for offence type and rate per 100,000 of the population) shows there were 5590 residential aggravated burglaries to September 2023, up from 2420 for the same period in 2014.

“It’s all good and well (for police) to say ‘don’t do it, just give them whatever they want’, but people at the moment are so heated up, are so fed up … and what we have seen over a period of time is people doing citizen’s arrests and getting involved, and that was almost unheard of,” Mr Bezzina said.

Former homicide detective Charlie Bezzina. Picture: 60 Minutes

“I think people are fed up and they know that police are slacking on the job for various reasons, resources or otherwise, so they will take the law in their own hands. The courts certainly don’t like vigilantes, but unfortunately we’ve been driven to become vigilantes, and (it’s) the way the whole society is going because of the fact of lack of police resources.”

He said while it was understandable Melburnians didn’t want to “live in fortresses” with bars on all their window, there were steps they could take to make their homes less likely targets for criminals and gangs.

Quality security doors and windows were a good start, because “overall, these crooks are lazy, so they’re gonna look for the softest target”, he said.

If one house looked like it was going to take more effort to break into than another nearby home, they would likely take the easier option, Mr Bezzina said.

“Security doors are a must,” he said.

Sensor lighting, home alarm systems and CCTV cameras could also be — but were not always — a deterrent.

One of the best protections against burglars was dogs, Mr Bezzina said.

Even ‘little yappers’ like jack russell terriers can be a deterrent.

A barking dog serves as an early alert system, Mr Bezzina says.

“Even the little yappers will probably alert you that something is not right, and that’s an early warning system. From a little jack russell (terrier) to a rottweiler, having a dog is a help. They have very acute senses,” he said, adding members of some gangs were known to be afraid of dogs and to avoid contact with them when and where possible.

Asked if residents could find themselves on the wrong side of the law if they fought off a home intruder, Mr Bezzina said “self defence is a complete defence to murder, manslaughter and assaults”, but added proportionality came into play.

“So, if someone’s trying to break into your house and you wake up and it’s your belief that you fear for your life or your fear for the life of another person in the household, and you defend yourself and that subsequently end up injuring or killing someone, realistically it’s the fear in your mind (that is important and considered by authorities),” he said.

“But let’s say you stabbed a person or knocked them out and they fall to the ground and then you get a baseball bat and start hitting, hitting, hitting them while they’re on the ground and incapacitated – well that’s not proportionate. You’ve overstepped your margin of self defence and that fearing for your life factor is no longer there.”

A Victoria Police spokesman said it was important to remember that in 95 per cent of all aggravated burglaries the offenders remained completely unseen by the victim and physical conflict was very rare.

Most aggravated burglaries go unnoticed by homeowners as they’re taking place.

Unlocked doors and windows are ‘an easy target’ for home invaders, police say.

“Victoria Police has a dedicated operation running every single night until dawn targeting burglars and car thieves across Melbourne,” he said.

“In 11 months, Operation Trinity has led to almost 2750 arrests on night shift alone.”

Offenders told police they typically tried multiple homes until they found “an easy target” in an unlocked home, the police spokesman said.

“The odds of falling victim to an aggravated burglary skyrocket if you leave your home unlocked, so we ask the community to take simple steps such as locking doors and windows,” he said.

Operation Trinity ran every night until dawn, with local police, the Air Wing, Dog Squad and Public Order Response Team working together to prevent burglaries and car thefts, and when they did occur, arrest offenders, police said.

“There have recently been several incidents where offenders have gained entry to homes through the garage, so if your garage adjoins your home, police recommend locking the interior door as well,” the spokesman said.

“In the rare event that people find themselves confronted by an offender in their home, we encourage them to get to safety and call police. Ultimately, property can be replaced, however, your life or the life of your loved ones cannot.”