To help victims of family violence access support services when they’re needed, the Manitoba government is introducing new resources and will make it easier for those at risk to obtain protection orders.
Until Nov. 27, the province will seek feedback through an online questionnaire from individuals who have applied, or helped someone else apply, for a protection order.
The feedback will help guide future legislative changes to update the Domestic Violence and Stalking Act, particularly the provisions related to issuing protection orders, the minister added.
Also announced are consultations as part of Domestic Violence Prevention Month. The province will provide $50,000 for the design and implementation of a public awareness campaign over the next year, focused on family violence prevention.
As well, the Cellphone Emergency Limited Link-up (CELL) program will be enhanced to better serve people at high risk of domestic violence and stalking, the province said.
The program will this year receive 55 new mobile phones, which will be made available at no cost to individuals at risk.
Victim safety will be further enhanced with five new two-way devices that will allow the user to call for help by pressing a button instead of calling 911.
When activated, the device notifies local police and provides them with information about the individual’s safety risks related to domestic violence, allowing the person to be located as quickly as possible during a potentially dangerous situation.
The devices operate on a secure network to prevent offenders from hacking the system to find their former partner.
