The Zonta Club of the Adelaide Hills Inc. members have chosen this project as one of their major projects for this Zonta year, and have donated $2,000 for the purchase of two Bluephones and for the payment of hiring out and monitoring of alarms held by women who are assessed as being at high risk of continuing domestic violence. The Bluephone is provided by West Coast Security.
The Adelaide Hills Family Violence Investigation Unit (FVIU) is located within the Mt. Barker Police Station and during the past financial year, the Unit has had contact with approximately 350 victims of violence in the Adelaide Hills Council, the Onkaparinga Council, Mt Barker Council and Fleurieu Council areas.
Senior Constables Samantha Massey and Sam Attard are Family Investigation Police Officers in the FVIU and they receive referrals from women in the community who have been subjected to domestic violence. Initially these women are found alternative accommodation until the situation at home becomes more manageable. Sometimes the female victim returns to the family home or can be relocated in rental accommodation, often, in both cases, with a Restraining Order on the perpetrator of the violence. On occasions, the Restraining Order does not prevent further contact between the perpetrator and the victim, so a risk assessment is conducted, and victims at high risk are issued with Alarms for their protection.
Often it is the case that the victims are unemployed and receiving a Centrelink payment and cannot afford to purchase an Alarm, nor pay for the hire and ongoing monitoring of the alarm by a Security Company. Currently, the FVIU owns four alarms which are on loan to victims, and the Security Company also issues old alarms at no charge, as they are old stock and work well in certain areas. The new Bluephones have a greater range for the wireless pendant, which of course in rural areas (such as the Adelaide Hills) is more effective. The number of alarms that are currently available is not enough to cope with the demand.
