A MOBILE phone scheme to help vulnerable crime victims is working well in Kirklees.
The project is being tested in the Dewsbury area and means victims will have a phone so the police can contact them to make sure they are all right.
The scheme is used mainly by people who are victims of domestic violence.
Kirklees crime reduction officer Pc Roger Day and the Dewsbury and District Crime Prevention Panel came up with the idea.
Norwich Union insurers agreed to initially give 15 mobile phones which were given to victims who the police needed to keep contacting.
Pc Day said: “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. Other victims 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.
“It also aids the police. They have a direct line to the victim that is always close to hand so they can check up on their wellbeing.
“Hopefully this idea will bring reassurance to people 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.’’
Pc Day added that more than 30 more mobile phones are expected to be given soon and the scheme could then be expanded into other areas of West Yorkshire.
Dewsbury and District Crime Prevention Panel chairman Hilary Wainwright said: “It is so important that victims of crimes such as domestic violence or harassment aren’t made even more vulnerable than they already are.
“This is a great example of our police in North Kirklees finding a way to help those who need it most and working with local people and big business to get it done.
“Combined with the services the police already provide for such people, such as help with security and the 24- hour special hotline, it should ensure that no-one is afraid to come forward.”
