One of Melbourne’s most exclusive suburbs is set to get a new police station if the opposition wins the upcoming election – after AFL WAG Bec Judd complained she felt “unsafe” in her $7.3million mansion.
The wife of footy legend Chris Judd sparked an uproar in May when she revealed on social media that she was feeling unwell at her lavish property in the affluent Bayside suburb of Brighton.
The glamorous WAG said the Victorian government seemed unconcerned about the “gang rapes, beatings and home invasions in Bayside”.
Victorian Liberal politician and opposition police spokesman Brad Battin has pledged to build a new police station in the area should his party win the upcoming general election in November.
Bec Judd’s complaint may have had an impact – as a Liberal MP promises to build a new police station in her affluent neighborhood if he wins the upcoming November election
Judd lives in Brighton – one of Melbourne’s wealthiest and safest suburbs – but AFL WAG said she felt “unsafe” in her $7.3million mansion.
“A Brighton Police shop front becomes an integral part of the community, reducing incident response times, playing an important role in reducing crime and increasing community protection,” said Mr Battin.
“The Liberals and Nationals have real solutions to ensure crime prevention and community safety in Victoria.”
Judd made headlines for her outlandish claims when she pointed to various statistics to support her arguments that a horrific crime wave was sweeping her affluent suburb.
Premier Andrews dismissed her comments on social media as “broad assessments”, insisting: “I’m sorry she feels that way. The data would tell a different story.”
Crime statistics for the area paint a more complicated picture than any of their claims, and a new police task force has been formed to combat rising juvenile delinquency.
Victorian Liberal politician and opposition police spokesman Brad Battin has promised to build a new station if he wins the forthcoming election in his Gembrook constituency
Judd made headlines for her outlandish claims when she pointed to various statistics to support her arguments that a horrific crime wave was sweeping her affluent suburb
Certain crimes in the area have increased noticeably over the past 10 years, reaching record highs, with home burglaries having quadrupled since 2014 and aggravated robberies hitting a five-year high.
However, Bayside has the second-lowest overall crime rate in Melbourne at just 4,300 crimes per 100,000 people – more than 24 per cent down from 2020 – compared with more than 10,000 crimes per 100,000 in the similarly affluent suburbs around nearby Toorak.
Bayside Local Area Commander Inspector Cath Wilkins admitted to The Australian that “there has been an increase in crime lately”.
But she said that although the suburb has “recently experienced a number of serious incidents, Bayside remains an overwhelmingly safe place to live”.
Judd claimed that crime was getting worse in her neighborhood and credited her attack on Mr Andrews with creating the new police task force.
Terrified: “I’m so sick of the Bayside gang rapes, bashings and home invasions,” Bec Judd wrote on Instagram
Dan Andrews dismissed Judd’s claims as “broad assessments”, but new figures show that crime in the area has exploded in recent years, with home burglaries having quadrupled
“I’m glad my voice shed some light on the escalating serious burglaries in Bayside,” Judd told The Australian.
‘[While] We are thankful for low non-aggressive crime rates, the increasing type of home invasion-like crimes in our local community is causing residents, especially women, to feel unsafe.
“I applaud Operation Ibis and the additional 500 police officers that have been pledged to the people of Victoria.”
Ms Judd started the storm when she posted details of recent home invasions in the area on Instagram.
“I personally know two women who have experienced home invasions in Brighton in recent weeks while at home,” she said.
She released CCTV footage of a group of young men lurking outside properties in her affluent suburb, claiming it made her feel “unsafe”.
A horde of youngsters roam the streets of Brighton, fearing a crime wave will sweep through the ritzy suburb
The teenagers, who were said to be armed with knives, were filmed lurking outside several properties in the Bayside area before crashing a stolen BMW into a tree.
Mr Andrews insisted that crime statistics did not support their claims, however, and said he did was “not interested in arguing with Ms Judd”.
But he added: “But I also have to point out that I believe there are more than 70 additional police officers in the Bayside area.”
And the latest crime statistics released by an independent agency would not support these blanket assessments of crime patterns.
“I say that respectfully to Bec Judd or anyone else – I don’t want anyone to feel unsafe. I’m sorry she feels this way.
“The data would tell a different story, but it’s about personal feelings and your sense of security.”
Bec Judd (pictured) launched a celebrity-led campaign against the escalating violent crime plaguing her suburb
Brighton’s main strip has been infested with petty thieves lately
