Longueuil: a panic button for victims of domestic violence

QMI agency

Monday, march 26, 2018 13:46

UPDATE
Monday, march 26, 2018 13:50

Look at this article

LONGUEUIL | The police Service of the urban agglomeration of Longueuil (SPAL) announced on Monday its participation in a program aimed at increasing the safety of women victims of domestic violence.

In collaboration with various partners, two of which are residential resources, the SPAL has signed the protocol in ISA that will equip free of charge to women victims of domestic violence with an alarm system in the form of a panic button portable connected to a central station.

When triggering an alarm, the central will immediately notify the police who will be at the same time be informed that it is a high risk area, in addition to receiving information previously recorded in the folder.

“Additional entries, such as the physical description of the spouse or ex-spouse and the vehicle, too, will be handed over to the police,” explained Josée Gagnon, spokesperson for the SPAL.

In this way, the agents to be dispatched on-site will be able to plan their response and better manage the risk associated with it.

The objectives of the program are to”provide a physical security” to the woman victim of domestic violence, to”increase his sense of security,” “prevent the commission of criminal offences” and “to arrest individuals who violate an order of the court”.

The system does, however, not at all. The police states that women who want to protect must meet “very specific criteria” and their case must be assessed by the resource partners of the program.

Women must, among other things, no longer live with the spouse, have lived through situations of domestic violence are “at risk” and have complained to the police in addition to pursuing the legal proceedings.

Everywhere in Quebec

The Federation of shelters for women has welcomed the new, but would like this measure to be introduced throughout Québec.

“It would be important that this protocol-there can be accessible in all of Quebec, with all of the police,” said its director, Manon Monastesse.

“You need to put in place measures around the women victims of domestic violence and their children and not just one. There needs to be more like an onion with skins of protection, a safety net,” she added, specifying that, each year, 12 women are killed by their spouse or ex-spouse in Quebec.

The protocol, ISA is also in Montreal, Laval and Gatineau.