DIAL 911 Program
Empowers Domestic Violence Victims
As
a result of a collaborative effort between the Ninth Judicial Circuit, Orange
County Sheriff’s Office and Aerial Communications,
high-risk victims of domestic violence have been able to obtain cellular phones
at no charge to use to call 911. The program, which issued its first cellular
phone only a few months ago, has been a tremendous asset to victims of domestic
violence, providing them with a new tool to help them.
The DIAL 911 (Domestic Intervention Aerial Link) program has proven to be effective in preventing incidents of domestic violence. Upon applying for an injunction, a petitioner may request under certain circumstances, the Court for a cellular phone to use for two weeks. The Judge will decide at the return hearing as to whether to enter another order extending the use of the phone for 60 days.
The program has already "helped countless victims of domestic violence and their children," said stated Circuit Judge Robert M. Evans in a March 18th letter to Aerial Communications to thank the company for its donation. The Judge cited three specific stories that illustrate his point. In one, the petitioner in a domestic violence case took her cellular phone with her to a convenience store. Her mother called to warn her that the respondent had come by the house looking for her and was on his way to the store. She used the phone to call 911; thanks to the phone, the police arrived almost immediately and quickly apprehended him. In a second case, another victim used the phone to report the presence of her estranged husband. The police quickly arrived and apprehended him while he was in the act of hanging the family pet from a tree in her front yard. In a third case, a recipient of an injunction for protection against domestic violence cut the telephone line to the petitioner's home just before attempting a break in. Unfortunately for him, he was unaware of the cellular phone, which the victim utilized for his apprehension by the police.
"Domestic violence is such a vexing and ever-increasing problem that I often get a feeling of frustration in dealing with these cases," added Judge Evans. Aerial "has certainly provided a valuable tool towards breaking the cycle of violence."
"It's gratifying to know that the DIAL 911 program has been effective in preventing incidents of domestic violence," said Susan Fortini, head of marketing for Aerial Communications in Central Florida. "We intend to continue the program as we strive to help make our community a better place to live."
For additional information, concerning the DIAL 911 program, please contact Karen Levey, Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the Ninth Judicial Circuit at (407) 836-2047, or Susan Fortini, head of marketing for Aerial Communications, Inc. at (407) 893-7605.