Victims of domestic abuse are often unable to dial 911, but a program in Quebec aims to put help in the palm of their hand.

Police in Longueuil are following the lead of Laval and Montreal and to put 鈥減anic buttons鈥� 鈥� small black clickers attached to lanyards 鈥� in more homes where there is a risk of continued violence.

鈥淟et鈥檚 say you鈥檙e in bed and you hear the door being smashed in, you don鈥檛 have time to (pick up) the phone, use the panic button,鈥� said Longueuil police spokesperson Jean-Pierre Voutsinos. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e not beside your phone it鈥檚 very quick.鈥�

An alert is sent directly to the police, who will respond with prior knowledge of the address and the suspect, he said. 鈥淲hen the police officers will show up at the address, they鈥檒l be able to locate the suspect faster.鈥�

In 2017, more than 1,000 women reported being victims of domestic abuse from a marital partner, or 鈥渃onjugal violence,鈥� in the Longueuil area alone. The panic button system is already in use in Montreal, where 36 women were given buttons last year, and in Laval. Though reports of conjugal violence are high 鈥� 18,000 every year in Quebec 鈥� the buttons are reserved for the most at-risk cases. Response to the initiative in Montreal has been positive, said Montreal police spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been working. It鈥檚 always good to have every equipment or everything to support our victim. We know it鈥檚 not easy, especially when we鈥檙e talking about conjugal violence,鈥� he said.

A woman who attended the Longueuil press conference held back tears as she explained to CTV Montreal how she felt the alarm could help save her life. She did not want to appear on camera.

Though the button is not going to resolve the widespread issue of domestic violence, it鈥檚 an important step in the fight, said Deborah Pearson with the , a crisis intervention centre.

鈥淎ll actions moving towards elimination of violence towards women support and help every woman, including women that are not just yet born,鈥� said Pearson.

Action is being taken by a number of groups in Quebec, including a coalition of women鈥檚 groups that has been putting pressure on the provincial government to expand services for women who are victims of domestic violence, outreach that should go beyond panic buttons and into the realm of prevention, education and the law.

With a report from CTV Montreal鈥檚 Amanda Kline