Montco Sheriff Collecting Phones for Domestic Violence Victims

By Kara Seymour

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s office has launched a new campaign to collect cell phones for victims of domestic violence.

The campaign is an extension of a gift of cell phones the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office made earlier this year to the Women’s Center.

Donated cell phones don’t need cellular service in order to make emergency calls. As long as the phone can be powered up and can locate a network, it can connect to 9-1-1 services, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

“Many of the Women’s Center’s clients come through our office to have their protection from abuse orders served,” said Sheriff Russell Bono. “At times, some of those victims will ask for phones because they don’t have one of their own. Our office has been successful in the past with cell phone collections, so we thought we would start another campaign for the Women’s Center.”

Donated phones and chargers can be dropped off at the following locations:

• Montgomery County Courthouse, 2 E. Airy St. Norristown
• One Montgomery Plaza security post, 425 Swede St., Norristown
• Youth Center security post, 54-550 Port Indian Road, Norristown

“We just hope to help these victims feel a little safer, knowing that they have a phone to use in the event of an emergency,” Bono said.

For more information about the cell phone donation program, contact Teresa Harris at tharris@montcopa.org or 610-278-5955.