From an article by: JOSHUA WIESENFELD on NOVEMBER 2, 2011
Restraining orders aren’t always enough to keep perpetrators of domestic abuse away from their victims. Often, court orders are totally flouted, frequently resulting in the death or injury of the victim of abuse.
But now, a new technology may give victims a fighting chance, CBS reported. Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan is advocating the implementation of GPS tracking devices that can prevent this type of assault. Victims will receive a phone call, alerted by the device strapped to the offender’s ankle, whenever their abuser crosses a preset electronic border.
“It’ll be different zones — maybe her home and maybe her workplace, maybe where the children go to school,” said Donovan.
The District Attorney’s office will also be alerted when the restricted area is breached. The GPS enabled trackers will only be assigned to those who previously ignored court orders instated against them.
“The people who are going to be required to wear this are people who are convicted of violating an order of protection already.,” said Donovan. “They’ve already done something where a court has demanded them to stay away from their victim.”
The devices operate at the cost of $10 a day incurred against the offender, not the victim or the taxpayers. If the perpetrator is unable to fund the device, the money will come from witness protection funds.
A Staten Island detective will don the device for three weeks to ensure its effectiveness and to work out any potential kinks. The law will be put into place as of January 2012.
It is heartening to see the benevolent uses lawmakers are finding for burgeoning GPS technology.
For the complete article and other information on GPS Tracking, click here.