Albany’s Family Domestic Violence team urges locals to donate old phones to help victims in reaching out

A specialist Great Southern police team is calling on the public to donate second-hand phones to help provide domestic violence survivors with a vital lifeline to safety and support.

Family Violence Team coordinator Sgt Lorena Simpson said the Albany station teamed up with not-for-profit charity DV Safe Phone about a year ago after realising the difficulty victims had in connecting to support agencies.

“We just saw that gap where victims, if they didn’t have a mobile phone, we were finding it hard to get in contact with them, or for them to get in contact with us or any other agency,” she said.

“We can get them on the phone, they can call us for help.

“It’s just that line of communication for them to any essential services.”

Donations are not limited to working phones, as devices with cracked screens, worn batteries or any other malfunction are sent away for repairs and refurbishment before being given to victims.

Sgt Simpson said Albany has received more than 100 donated phones via the program in the year it’s been operating.

“Every victim that we give a phone to is appreciative,” she said.

“They are often overcome with emotions, sometimes just the fact that we help them, and they feel like they’re listened to.

“They feel more empowered, and that someone cares.

“I don’t think the community really knows about it so fingers crossed we can get the word out there and get as many phones as we can.”

Phones can be donated to the Albany police station and cash donations can be made via the DV Safe Phone website.