Wyndham women at high risk of family violence could be among the first in the state to trial emergency alarms and CCTV cameras in their homes.
The opposition Labor Party has announced that if it wins November’s state election, it will provide women with the cameras and alarms as part of its plan to tackle Victoria’s rising family violence.
Women in immediate danger and unable to call triple-0 will be able to activate the alarms, which will then capture GPS, audio and visual data that will be live-streamed to a call centre. Police and paramedics will then be notified.
The opposition said the alarms and cameras would be rolled out in a one-year pilot program across four locations which had the state’s highest levels of family violence.
Wyndham could be one of the areas included in the trial, alongside other potential candidates Whittlesea, Geelong, Frankston, Bendigo and Dandenong.
In the 12 months to March 31 this year, Wyndham police recorded 624 instances of family violence, up from 552 the previous year.
The opposition spokeswoman for the prevention of family violence, Danielle Green, said the plan would help women at risk from violent men.
“Family violence is our shame. It’s a national emergency,” she said.
“The system is broken. It doesn’t punish the guilty and it doesn’t save enough lives.”
Opposition leader Daniel Andrews labelled the plan “potentially life-changing to women and children who live in fear and danger every day”.
A spokeswoman for Victoria Police said police wanted to understand the potential benefits and risks associated with the use of alarms and monitored CCTV in homes before the program was rolled out.
“We have concerns about the introduction of a third-party agency – between the victim and a police operator – in any such program and this will be explored through the pilot,” the spokeswoman said.
