CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Many of us don’t leave home without our cell phones and many of us get a new one every few years. Now, you can donate your old ones to the police department.

• The Chapel Hill Police Department Crisis Unit is collecting unwanted cell phones to give to community members
• Many of these community members are victims of domestic violence
• Donate your phones at 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd

Although retailers often offer buy backs and recycling of unwanted cell phones, donating them to the Chapel Hill Police Department is another option. The CHPD Crisis Unit is collecting them and giving them to community members in need. Many of those community members are victims of domestic violence.

These phones have no data plan associated with them and they are only used to call 911 in emergencies.

This past year, police say they gave out more than 20 phones to those in need but they are running low.

Megan Johnson of the Crisis Unit says this initiative will help people.

“They either don’t have phones or they need to have some type of spare phone. Often times a victim of domestic violence, their perpetrator might take their phone, and they can have a 911 phone in their home they can utilize. People that are transient might not have one, but we always want people to access 911 so we give these out to anyone that would ask for one,” Johnson said.

All they ask is that the phone is able to be turned on, you bring a working charger, and you restore the phone to factory settings. If you cannot restore it, the police department will do it for you.

Police also say that it does not need to be a smart phone, any functioning phone works great.

You can donate your phones at 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.