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In Atlanta, Georgia, the use of a GPS device recently allowed police to quickly find and arrest a past sex offender who was beginning to resume lewd activities.

When local law enforcement began receiving reports of a man exposing himself in different areas of Paulding County, they suspected that the man was Anthony Tims, a man who had already served three different jail sentences for sexual offenses (the most recent jail term lasted nine years). By pulling up the records transmitted by Tims’ ankle GPS tracker, the police were able to establish that he had, in fact, been in those areas at the times that the indecent exposure incidents had been reported. They quickly obtained an arrest warrant from the court and again used the GPS tracker to locate Tims and arrest him again.

Because sexual predators are considered high risks for repeating offenses, they are ideal candidates for constant GPS tracking devices. While some people question the constitutional issues associated with giving law enforcement the ability to monitor the location of citizens, the benefits of quick access to potentially dangerous sex offenders are hard to deny. The Paulding County Sheriff’s office is certainly thankful for the opportunity to apprehend Tims again without needing to devote large amounts of police resources to seeking him out.

GPS trackers are just a recent addition to the efforts of police to protect the public from the possibility of sexual predators committing new crimes after their release. The institution of a public sex offender registry and laws restricting past offenders’ access to schools and other key areas have also proven successful. Georgia police forces are likely to implement the use of more trackers if they continue to display a high rate of efficiency and dependability.