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In Queensland, Australia, citizens won the fight to use GPS tracking devices on pedophiles through a petition. Outraged by breaches in the outdated monitoring system, The Courier-Mail began collecting signatures to persuade the State Government to change its position on instituting modern technology for the sake of monitoring its most high-risk criminals.
Out with the Old
The old system of monitoring bracelets is known to fail, often. In the month of May 2011 alone, there were 152 breaches by 53 pedophiles reported; these were not just incidents of offenders straying from a designated zone. One included the attempted kidnapping of a boy from a park. The current bracelets send an alert only when an offender leaves or returns home; there is no ability to track his movements away from his home or during curfew hours.

In with the New
With the advances in GPS technology, parolees can now be tracked 24-7 through their ankle bracelets. Alerts can be sent, and locations can be pinpointed. After realizing that public opinion was against them, the government agreed to implement GPS tracking for 67 of his most high-risk sex offenders; to fully implement a GPS tracking system, authorities estimate that it will cost $13.7 million over four years, a cost that most Queenslanders seem ready to pay. The State Government plans to use the devices only on those convicted under the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act.

Old Argument Against New Technology
The question of invasion of privacy always comes up in discussions about the use of GPS tracking by law enforcement; however, Queensland’s government’s argument is now about revealing the identities of those being tracked. They argue that under the Information Privacy Act of 2009, revealing the identity of an offender may inadvertently identify the victims. But The Courier-Mail, with the support of its constituency, is in the fray again, seeking to force the government to reveal the identities of those ordered to wear the new GPS tracking devices.
Public opinion is a powerful force that has probably done much good in Queensland in this case. By persuading a state government to use modern technology for the good of society, Queenslanders hope to create a more secure environment, especially for their children. They see GPS tracking as the key with the identities of the offenders widely known.