Domestic Violence Victims Find Solace with GPS Trackers

By Harriette Halepis

Across the globe, many people insist that tracking domestic violence offenders is a good idea. While there is some debate as to this use of GPS tracking, a new way of protecting domestic violence victims has recently surfaced.

In Buckinghamshire, England, police have decided to offer a selection of domestic violence victims a unique GPS tracking device. This device, called the Buddi System, is linked to the local police station. When an attacker comes near a victim, the victim simply pushes a button that immediately warns police of a possible attack.

Domestic Violence

The Buddi System will cut police response time drastically, which will (hopefully) prevent domestic attacks. The police center that will respond to the alert is open 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. In short, it will be difficult for domestic violence abusers to become repeat offenders in Buckinghamshire.

Right now, the project is within its development stage. These specialized trackers have been given to five women within Buckinghamshire who will use the trackers for the next few months. The hope is that these women will no longer fear leaving their homes – often, women that have been abused do not venture outside of their homes.

These trackers will cost the town of Buckinghamshire around £3000. Though, this cost will be worth the high price if victims of domestic violence can “…feel safer in their day to day lives (Heart 97.6).” While enough data has not yet been collected, many women around the world are hopeful that this project will work.

Tags: crime, GPS Tracker, safety