Police give out free mobile phones to vulnerable people

Victims of domestic and related violence are benefiting from a campaign pioneered in Kirklees in West Yorkshire. Insurance company Aviva has donated 35 unlocked mobile phones which are then provided to victims whom the police needed to keep in contact with.

Officers from the Kirklees Crime Reduction Office have developed the initiative to provide vulnerable individuals with free mobile phones to increase their safety. Crime Reduction Officer, PC Roger Day said the phones are given to victims who are not contactable due to their circumstances: "It is often the case that the police need to seize the phones of victims to gather vital evidence, but these people cannot always afford to replace them while they are being examined. Others may not have a mobile phone at all.

"For all vulnerable victims, being able to lend them a phone gives them an easy means to contact the police for support and protection. Likewise, it aids the police; they have a direct line to the victim that is always close to hand so they can check up on their well being. “Hopefully, these phones will bring reassurance to those who have been subject to domestic violence and related crimes and will go some way to alerting police and reducing potential incidents in the future. “As far as I am aware, this is a unique project in West Yorkshire. Others are considering the benefits of the scheme and there is also a possibility that this could be rolled out fully on a county-wide level.”

Read the rest of this item from West Yorkshire Police here