Rocky Mountain Tracking » domestic violence

GPS Now Protects Domestic Violence Victims in Richmond, NY

Lynetta Bowen — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 16:00:42 +0000

Under the guidance of District Attorney Daniel M. Donovan, Jr., GPS tracking will become an essential part of protecting victims of domestic violence from further offenses in Richmond County, NY. The county will implement G4S SafeZone devices, developed by G4S Justice Services, in conjunction with a written order of protection to prevent abusers from gaining access to their victims.
While an Order of Protection stipulates areas the abuser must avoid (such as a victim’s home, school, or workplace), the GPS program will provide a more effective way for law officers to enforce the terms of the order.

A written order cannot actually prevent an offender from entering a restricted area, but the GPS devices can and will notify law enforcement if the terms of the order are violated, enabling them to take immediate action with the goal of preventing further violence.

Under the new program, a judge can order a domestic violence offender to wear a GPS tracking device, usually around the ankle, for a specified period of time. Law enforcement officials can set up perimeter zones that, when crossed, will signal the device to notify officers as well as send a message to the victim’s cell phone. So-called “exclusionary zones” generally encompass a 1000-foot radius around places frequented by the victim, such as a home, business, or school.

By giving early warnings to both victims and police officers and enabling earlier response to threats, the D.A. hopes that the SafeZone devices will significantly reduce the number of repeat offenses.
Because nearly half of the instances of domestic abuse are perpetrated by repeat offenders, the potential for reduction does seem promising. With law enforcement departments seeking ways to increase efficiency even in the face of budget cuts, GPS tracking provides an effective solution to the problem of offenders who refuse to be deterred by a written restraining order.

D.A. Donovan holds high hopes for the effective use of GPS tracking to aid law enforcement in protecting abuse victims from their attackers. According to G4S president Darryl Martin, the notification systems offer the best option available for prevention and early warning of domestic abuse. As Richmond County prepares to implement the new program, Staten Island residents can breathe a little easier knowing that every possible measure is being taken by the county’s law enforcement officials to protect the health and safety of domestic violence victims.

Photo By B.S.Wise through Flickr Creative Commons

GPS Comes to the Rescue for Victims of Abuse

Hillary Mayfield — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 16:00:24 +0000

In Staten Island, New York, authorities are seeking to implement the same technology used to keep track of parolees to warn victims of domestic violence. Those charged with domestic violence and/or ordered by a judge to stay away from a particular individual will be outfitted with a GPS tracking device on their ankle. Domestic violence is defined as a pattern of behavior wherein one person uses abuse and violence to gain control over another person. Staten Island hopes to break this pattern by creating more accountability for the offender and more warning for the victim.
Startling Statistics
In the United States alone, a woman is assaulted or beaten every 9 seconds; some countries show abuse rates as high as 70%. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women in America, more than rapes, muggings, and car accidents combined. More than three women are murdered by their partners every day, and it costs the United States billions of dollars every year to manage the health costs involved in treating these victims as well as the lost productivity of these victims in the workplace. Multiply these figures by all the countries of the world, and you have an epidemic of destroyed lives.
Hopeful Results
Law enforcement and victim’s rights advocates have high hopes for this new system. Just like parolees, those charged with domestic violence will have boundaries that they cannot enter. The ankle bracelets they wear can be programmed to monitor the victim’s home, workplace, children’s school, and every other place the victim frequents. If the offender enters one of these off-limit zones, both the victim and the authorities are immediately notified through a special alert system. Coordinates are then given to pinpoint the offender’s whereabouts. Through this monitoring system, authorities hope to give victims the opportunity to live their lives without fear, without always having to look over their shoulder.
The Cost
The cost in lives lost or injured is incalculable, but the cost of keeping track of the offenders is miniscule. For $10 a day, a GPS tracking ankle bracelet can be monitored; and right now, the system is set up so that the wearer pays the cost. If he cannot afford the device, then the cost is covered by witness protection funds; the burden does not fall on the victim or the taxpayers. With 92% of women fearing abuse and 1 in 4 actually experiencing it, this advanced warning system will go a long way in giving victims back control over their lives.

Staten Island: GPS Device Warns Victims When Abuser is Approaching

Admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:06:10 +0000

If you are the unfortunate victim of domestic violence and live in Staten Island, you’ll soon feel safer thanks to a new service powered by a GPS tracking device from Atlanta security company G4S Justice Services, the G4S SafeZone.

“To many domestic abusers, an order of protection is just a piece of paper. It does not deter these relentless scofflaws from constantly terrorizing and attacking their victims, and from sucking the life out of a public safety and legal system that is already low on resources,” explains Daniel Donovan, Staten Island District Attorney.

His hope is that this device will put an end to the many protective order violations that occur, such as when the offender returns to hurt or terrorize the victim. The program, called the Domestic Violence GPS Initiative, will be tested out by a group of repeat offenders already found guilty of domestic violence and ignoring protective orders.

The device, which operates like an ankle bracelet for those on house arrest, will send a text message to the victim’s cell phone when the offender is in the area covered by the protective order, which usually includes the victim’s home and place of work. It will also notify the police, allowing them to swiftly apprehend the offender.

Why is this sort of tracking necessary? Donovan explains that close to 50% of offenders have been convicted numerous times, and that roughly 25% of Staten Island domestic violence repeat offenders have the added charge of violating a protective order.

“The use of GPS for victim notification is one of the best methods of prevention and pre-warning of a potential danger to a victim,” says president of G4S Justice Services Darryl Martin. “This early warning system is crucial to helping prevent repeat assault on victims.”

Article Written by Khristen Foss

Domestic Violence Offenders in TN to Wear and Pay for GPS Trackers

Admin — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 16:00:28 +0000

People who are currently on trial for domestic violence in Tennessee may soon be forced to wear GPS tracking devices. The state of Tennessee is hoping to protect children and spouses who are in harm’s way. Often, those who have not yet stood trial for domestic violence track down former victims, and sometimes this leads to death.

The state of Tennessee has not yet past the newly proposed law. But many citizens are behind tracking domestic violence offenders. The GPS tracking devices that the state is consider would send signals to victims when an attacker is nearby. This would provide victims with enough time to leave an area or call police for help.

Not only will domestic violence offenders be forced to wear GPS tracking devices, but these individuals will also have to pay for the GPS equipment. The cost of the proposed devices has not yet been revealed. If this new Tennessee law passes, domestic violence offenders throughout the state will have a few less dollars each month.

Article Written by Harriette Halepis

GPS Aid for Abuse Victims

Admin — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 16:00:47 +0000

GPS, or Global Positioning System, was developed in the 1970s by the United States military in response to the threat posed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The United States needed a dependable navigation and tracking system with more capabilities. The old radio-based navigation systems simply could not keep up with the modern times and modern threats. Fortunately, war never broke out between the U.S. and the USSR, but GPS tracking was used by the military during other conflicts. For example, the Gulf War in 1991 was a milestone as far as GPS technology is concerned. The Gulf War was one of the first times GPS was used extensively in a war. During this conflict, the U.S. military found that GPS was a very useful and innovative development in modern technology, and they’ve used GPS for everything from logistics to battlefields ever since.

Although the military was the first to discover the benefits of GPS, other sectors of American society have found this technology useful as well. GPS technology was made publicly available in 1983. Since then, GPS tracking has expanded so that now it is available as an accessory on cell phones. Anyone can purchase a small tracking or navigation device for personal use. Several businesses use GPS systems for theft prevention. Besides the private and commercial sectors, another component of American society that uses GPS is the law enforcement. Most people are familiar with the use of GPS ankle bracelets worn by parolees or suspects out on bail. GPS tracking is a dependable way to keep track of those who pose a danger to society. They provide accountability to sex offenders and others.

Just recently, law enforcement in Scotland has found an exciting new use for GPS tracking devices. This development may help save lives and could prevent physical injury caused by domestic violence. Scottish police launched this new system this week as part of their campaign against domestic abuse. Individuals who have been the targets of domestic violence in the past will be given a GPS tracking device. The device will not only allow the victim to call for help, but will also allow domestic abuse victims to talk to a police officer while they are waiting for help. The Scottish police hope that these recorded conversations can then be used as evidence against the attacker. If Scotland’s law enforcement finds success with this system, perhaps it will spread to other nations as well.

Article Written by Greg Bartlett

GPS to Track Domestic Violence Offenders

RMT GPS News — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:30:24 +0000

By Harriette Halepis

Over 3 million people are subject to stalking during a one year period (NY Times). Many of these people have filed restraining orders against their stalkers. Many more have discovered that restraining orders are relatively useless when a stalker is persistent.

In fact, “…about one quarter of women who were killed by their domestic abusers already had restraining orders (NY Times).” The vast majority of stalkers have had some kind of personal relationship with their victim in the past. Stalking frequently turns into domestic abuse with women and children becoming moving targets.

GPS tracking technology might be on the brink of changing the constant fear that victims of domestic abuse face on a daily basis. Thirteen states have implemented GPS tracking usage when it comes to domestic violence.

Still, in order to have a violent offender tracked, a judge must decide whether the trackers are to be used before a trial, as a permanent sentence, as part of bail, or at all. While some judges have seen the compelling arguments for GPS tracking, others are not quick to put the technology into action.

Since most judges are not entirely familiar with GPS tracking, they tend to resort to older domestic violence sentences – in short, restraining orders.

Those areas that can afford to track domestic violence offenders have found a clever way to pay for GPS tracking technology. In the state of Massachusetts, domestic violence offenders are charged $8 per day for the tracking bracelets that they are forced to wear – these criminals literally pay for their crimes.

If GPS trackers can save lives – when restraining orders clearly cannot – why is this technology largely disregarded? Aside from the fact that some police forces simply don’t have enough manpower to monitor trackers, those that sit upon the judicial bench must be educated as to the usefulness of GPS tracking.

Commenting on those judges that are still using futile sentencing methods, one Massachusetts judge has made the reluctance to use GPS tracking devices quite clear: “…until they know how GPS can be used and how successful it can be, judges are reluctant to order it because it’s unfamiliar (NY Times).” For the sake of those that are killed by domestic offenders every year – isn’t it about time to familiarize judges with GPS tracking systems?

Protecting Domestic Violence Victims through GPS Monitoring

RMT GPS News — Mon, 04 May 2009 18:00:39 +0000

By Greg Bartlett

Every day, three women are killed and thousands more are injured in domestic violence incidents. In Maine, domestic violence accounts for 60% of homicides. Unfortunately, domestic violence has only increased in recent years, and merely issuing a restraining order is not enough to stop the violence and protect the victims. Many people ignore restraining orders and come back to injure and possibly kill the victim.

Stop Domestic Violence

In Wisconsin, two restraining orders were not able to stop an ex-boyfriend from murdering a woman. A few years ago in South Carolina, a man attacked his former girlfriend, was arrested, and then released on bail. Later he came back and held his former girlfriend hostage for a few hours in a grocery store before he finally killed her.

Unfortunately, these instances are not unusual. Authorities are looking for new ways to protect domestic violence victims so that they will not become homicide victims. One effective way is with GPS monitoring. The offender wears a monitor and can be tracked at all times. If he goes outside of permitted areas or comes within restricted areas, for instance the victim’s neighborhood or workplace, both the police and the victim can be alerted. The victim would then be able to avoid the offender and law enforcement, following the information from the GPS tracking unit, could intercept the offender before he reaches the victim.

Some programs use GPS monitoring only when offenders are deemed to be dangerous, and others use it only when the offenders have already violated restraining orders. In an effort to decrease domestic violence incidents and homicides, many states are pushing for legislation to require GPS monitoring for any domestic violence offenders.

For some domestic violence victims, getting away from the abuser is the spark which makes the abuser turn to lethal violence. For instance, the relationship may not be very violent until the woman leaves, and then the ex-boyfriend erupts in anger and violence. In one situation, when a woman moved out, her ex-boyfriend came after her with a gun and killed her, their child, and her parents.

Protecting the victim is more important than ever if the victim leaves the abusive situation, and GPS monitoring is one of the best solutions. Although by itself it cannot protect the victim, it can do more than restraining orders and can alert the police and the victim if the victim is in danger, thus protecting the victim from further injuries and preventing domestic violence homicides.