Melbourne is copping a bad rap at the moment, as the city battles rising crime levels and general safety concerns.

The current predicament prompted some comments in a major publication across the board about the city and how it compares to other places in Australia.

It was those comments that fired up Heidi Murphy, prompting her to launch a strong defence of the city.

Press PLAY to find out what the comments are

“It’s a protective mechanism (which has me fired up) reading these comments today,” she said on 3AW Drive.