Entertainment reporter Peter Ford and long-time Melbourne resident is walking away from the city he once loved, saying a tsunami of crime and drugs was the final straw.
Ford, who appears on 3AW and Channel Seven, told the Neil Mitchell Asks Why podcast that he’s finally had enough and is packing up to head north for good.
‘I just don’t want to live here anymore,’ he said.
‘I am just disgusted with what is happening here. I have had security issues at my own home this year… five break-ins this year.
‘They only got into the house once, but five attempts.’
Ford reached breaking point after months of feeling unsafe and disillusioned by the rising crime rates in Melbourne.
‘Every day you pick up the paper and there are stories about machetes and I just can’t live here anymore,’ he said.
‘I had a homeless person living 20 feet from my bedroom window until quite recently, which would not be so bad except he would scream out in the middle of the night.’
Broadcaster Peter Ford (pictured) said he would be leaving Melbourne due to rising crime rates
Ford has made the decision to leave Melbourne following a string of machete attacks (pictured)
The high-profile entertainment reporter said his once-peaceful neighbourhood had become a magnet for crime and drug use.
‘For whatever reason my little area, which was a very lovely suburb, the word has got out that this is a great place to go and shoot up drugs or whatever,’ he said.
‘So, the time has come for a fresh start and I don’t see the problems in Melbourne turning around very quickly.’
Speaking to Daily Mail, Ford said his decision wasn’t driven by politics, but by the simple need to feel safe and at peace.
‘It’s time for a new chapter,’ he said.
The entertainment titan didn’t blame anyone in particular but alluded to criticism that the Victorian Labor Government has been too soft on crime.
‘I don’t want to get political, I’m not clever enough to know where fingers should be pointed, but I do know there is a dreadful problem and I’m lucky to be able to escape it,’ he said.
‘I’ll always love Melbourne, I guess it’s because I love it that I need to distance myself from seeing the state it’s now in,’ he said.
His comments come one day after another machete brawl at a Broadmeadows Central
Four teenage boys were charged after allegedly driving a stolen BMW through Bourke St Mall
Ford’s comments come just hours after yet another violent machete attack at Broadmeadows Central shopping centre.
Chaos erupted after two groups of men began brawling in the centre’s car park, roughly 15km north of the Melbourne CBD, on Friday night.
The fight soon spilled inside the shopping centre, sending terrified shoppers scrambling for cover as screams echoed through the complex.
The incident is the latest in a string of shocking crimes across the city.
Four teenage boys were recently charged after allegedly driving a stolen BMW through Melbourne’s Bourke Street Mall, striking a pedestrian and sparking chaos among shoppers.
The dramatic chase ended when the teens fled into Myer and were arrested, reigniting debate over youth crime and safety in the CBD.
Police described that attack as a brutal machete assault believed to be linked to ongoing youth gang rivalries.
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Veteran media star hits breaking point after five attempted break-ins at his Melbourne home: ‘Tsunami of crime’