A Melbourne mother-of-two has spoken out about her fear of a gang of teen home intruders roaming around her home as she and her family were sleeping upstairs.
Before being shot at by police in St Kilda, the adolescent burglars went on a crime spree in the Brighton family’s expensive cars.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, two boys, ages 13 and 14, were detained and charged with aggravated burglary, car theft, and other offenses.
Emily Meredith-Smith, a mother, has joined Bec Judd, a football WAG, in calling for action to combat the worrying surge in crime in the affluent Bayside neighborhood.
She questioned of the Daily Mail Australia, “What are they going to do about it?” ‘We need more security around here,’ says the narrator. It’s a disaster.
‘For the first couple of days afterwards, I was just in shock. Now I’m just angry.
‘I’m told one of the boys had 13 charges out against him before he stole my car and was on his way to commit more crimes.
‘I know they’re just young kids – but why are they not being detained longer by the authorities…and where are their parents?’
The gang attempted to steal another car on the street before being seen on Ms Meredith-doorbell Smith’s video slipping into their home, according to CCTV evidence.
Ms Meredith-Smith, her husband, and two children, ages 13 and 15, slept upstairs at their home in Brighton’s Cochrane Street while the four teenagers walked around inside.
Around 1.30 a.m., the young thugs took a handbag and the keys to the family’s Audi SQ5 and Subaru Outback before speeding away into the darkness.
One of the cars was almost out of gas when they took it, and they had to stop for gas 50 minutes later at a St Kilda service station when they were seen by a patrol car.
The group drove at one of the officers and knocked him down before speeding away as police attempted a routine check on the vehicle.
Another cop fired bullets at the automobile, shattering the rear glass and damaged the bodywork, but the vehicle did not stop and departed the scene.
The family believes the home invasion was in response to a car break-in two weeks prior, and they are now afraid the gang may return to assault them again.
‘That’s the scariest thing – just knowing that they broke into my car and then they came back two weeks later and broke into the house,’ said Ms Meredith-Smith.
‘That feeling of not feeling safe. Thinking, “Okay, they’re probably going to come back in a month time and try again.” Who knows?
‘You just don’t feel very reassured that they’re not going to do it again.’
The children involved, she said, are from outside the area and travel to Brighton by rail before robbing the wealthy.
The frightened mother claims that since the end of the Covid lockdowns, criminality in the region has increased to levels never seen before in the generally tranquil district.
‘I wouldn’t go anyplace alone at night now,’ she admitted. ‘You must be cautious. ‘There’s a lot going on right now.’
Bec Judd’s recent comments on the escalating crime wave hitting Brighton, as well as her verbal sparring with Victorian Premier Dan Andrews, echo these worries.
He said that crime data did not support her accusations that the situation in the affluent neighbourhood was worse.
However, while overall crime is down, house invasions, robberies, and even murders are at all-time highs on Bayside’s mansion-lined avenues, according to recent statistics.
‘It’s worse than it’s ever been before,’ added Ms Meredith-Smith. ‘The police were terrific and have kept us updated every day.
‘However the local police station closed down 12 years ago and they need more high profile visible policing to keep these gangs out.
‘But I get the overwhelming feeling from Dan Andrews that if you’ve got a postcode 3186, you should be able to pay for your own security.
‘So no, I don’t feel so comforted by him.’
James Newberry, a local state Liberal MP, said the issue was now spiraling out of hand and that fast action was required.
‘Over the previous few months, I’m sure there have been close to ten,’ he stated. ‘There has been a recent spate of home invasions by gangs of persons from outside the neighborhood.’
‘The locals are terrified.’
Inspector Cath Wilkins, the Bayside Local Area Commander, said Wednesday that ‘there has been an upsurge in offences recently.’
Despite a series of major instances in recent months, she noted, Bayside remains an extremely safe area to live.