A subscription-based “rapid response” patrol is expanding across Melbourne’s Bayside suburbs amid Victoria’s ongoing crime wave, offering overnight security services to households that no longer trust police will arrive quickly when confronted with break-ins or attempted car thefts.

I joined Nick Paterson for a ride-along to observe how the patrols operate on a typical night. Paterson said he has been running the patrols for months in partnership with a group called Bayside Concerned Citizens (BCC). The subscription service works on a simple arrangement: residents pay a weekly fee and can call for a team to attend if they are are concerned about their safety, the service also offers routine patrols as deterrence. The premise, he said, is speed and visibility in neighbourhoods where residents believe the state is not meeting expectations amid rising crime.

On the ride-along through Brighton, Paterson said that Bayside streets are being targeted because of visible wealth, pointing to “Porsches and high-end vehicles” parked outside homes. He said beachside areas “where there’s money” are deliberately selected, as cars and household items are attractive and easily accessible amid the broader surge in vehicle thefts and property crime. According to Paterson around 1,500 home invasions are reported each week in Victoria, adding that the true number is “probably more than that.”

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African and Middle Eastern crime gangs have been particularly active in the state, but years of reluctance driven by political correctness have inflamed the problem, allowing it to spill over into all areas. Failures across government, policing, and the judiciary have compounded the crisis, forcing the government to introduce measures such as machete bins and tighter bail conditions in an attempt to rein in the issue. Critics have maintained these measures have had little impact, and the growing desire for private patrols by locals confirms this reality.

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Paterson has observed that groups typically operate with a “scout” who walks the area, sometimes in a hoodie with a covered face, to identify a house “with merit” or a vehicle that is easy to steal. “Ten minutes later, there’ll be a carload,” he said, describing a method that relies on quick coordination. 


Paterson said the patrol runs from 11 pm to 6 am. His team checks doors and windows, monitors for suspicious behaviour and aims to deter crime through constant movement and presence. If they see a group they believe is preparing to offend, he said they will “call the police, take a photo and confront them.” But he conceded his authority is limited. “I can’t arrest anyone unless they’re actually committing an offence,” he said. “There’s no offence in them walking around.”

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Former Brighton Mayor and BCC spokesperson John Locco said police are “under-resourced” and under pressure, citing budget constraints, members leaving after disputes over conditions and entitlements, and departures during COVID for better opportunities interstate. The representative said the bayside area includes many elderly residents living alone and warned of “genuine fear” about safety at home amid the state’s crime wave. He said a home invasion occurred “50 metres” from where he was sitting and claimed he had been “done over twice,” with thieves stealing power tools from his car.

The service currently costs between $20 and $50 per week, depending on whether households choose on-call rapid response only or add regular patrols. Paterson said BCC is expanding from St Kilda through Hampton and toward Frankston, as more locals start to rely on private security patrols instead of local police.

More information about the Bayside Concerned Citizens can be found on their website.