Rocky Mountain Tracking

By Greg Bartlett

Domestic violence victims, usually women, will sometimes put up with a lot before they go to the police and file a complaint or request an order of protection. Unfortunately, even with the abuser in prison or ordered not to come near a victim, the victim still isn’t safe. In Massachusetts, for example, 25% of its 30,000 domestic violence restraining orders are violated. Many times the abuser returns and injures or kills the victim, typically at the victim’s home or place of employment.

A few years ago, in a small South Carolina town, a woman was killed by her ex-boyfriend. After being released from prison for beating her and threatening to kill her, he arrived at her workplace, held her hostage for a few hours, and then shot her. A woman in Texas was killed by her ex-husband in 2006 when he ignored the restraining order and came to her house, shot her 20 times, and then killed himself.

Unfortunately, prisons can’t hold all domestic violence offenders, and some of them could safely be released into the community so that they can continue to provide the alimony or child support that the victim needs. But courts can’t always identify the “safe” offenders to release from the “unsafe” ones, and the release of the wrong offender could mean injury or death to the victim.

GPS tracking devices are becoming more and more popular as a means of protecting domestic violence victims. One woman in Massachusetts says the only reason she and her children are alive is because of GPS tracking, and an Illinois woman claims the same thing. With GPS tracking devices, police can track domestic violence offenders’ every move and will be automatically alerted if an offender goes into restricted areas, such as a victim’s home and workplace, or a school her children attend. Police will be dispatched to pick up the offender for violating the order not to come within those areas.

Even more importantly, GPS tracking devices will let the victim know if the offender comes within her safe zones. She’ll be able to take necessary precautions before he gets there, whether it is warning school or daycare personnel, fleeing, or locking all the doors and waiting for the police to arrive.

Since the victim can track the offender’s movements with GPS tracking devices, she doesn’t have to wonder if he’ll suddenly appear and start her nightmare all over again. She’ll be able to have peace of mind because she knows where he is.

By Greg Bartlett

Certain species of animals are becoming endangered or threatened, and researchers are constantly seeking ways to protect the animals. Part of the difficulty is being able to track the animals and observe them in their habitats.

However, technology now allows researchers to study and protect animals without being physically present.

GPS tracking devices are one effective option which allows researchers to study animals and their activities and to gather data to help discover ways to protect animals. For instance, in Alaska, researchers put GPS devices on 10 sandhill cranes and watched their migratory patterns. They were able to see where the birds went, tracking their progress in California, Washington, and Oregon before their return flight. While sandhill cranes are not a threatened species, being able to observe them is an example of how GPS tracking can be used to help monitor other, endangered species.

Other researchers are using GPS devices to track the endangered whale shark, monitoring their activities for months so that they can collect data to help find a way to protect the sharks before they become extinct. In Florida, some researchers put GPS tracking devices onto leatherback turtles, an endangered species, so that they could follow their progress and study their activities. They were even able to locate hatchlings through the GPS data and to help rescue some of the babies who got stuck away from the ocean.

Lynx, a threatened species, are being reintroduced into Colorado. Some of the lynx have been outfitted with collars and GPS devices, and through the GPS data, researchers recently were able to discover 10 new lynx kittens, an indication that the reintroduction program is successful. Furthermore, GPS data has given researchers information about lynx habitats, movement corridors, and breeding habits. They have also been monitoring the impact of human activities and of the forest’s health on the lynx. Researchers in Colorado are even using GPS to study hares which the lynx eat and which help to ensure litters of lynx kittens if there are plenty of hares available for the lynx to eat.

Humans shoulder an important role in protecting endangered species. Researchers seeking to discover ways to protect the disappearing animals can use GPS devices to give them the precise location of a particular animal, which will enable them to track its movements, patterns, and activities. With the knowledge GPS can provide, researchers are one step closer to protecting endangered species.

By Greg Bartlett

Our family has three dogs, and we’re going to get another one this summer. We live in the country, and sometimes we have to go out and find our dogs when they’re not in the immediate vicinity. Thankfully we’ve never really had a problem with our dogs getting lost, but there are a lot of people who have. Hundreds of thousands of dogs wander away from their homes each year, but only about 16% are returned to their owners.

Lost posters and physically hunting for dogs are some of the ways owners try to track down their beloved but wayward pet. A more effective way is with GPS devices, which allow owners to locate a lost pet almost instantly.

GPS devices can be small enough to fit onto a dog’s collar and be worn comfortably by your pet. The devices are usually waterproof and very durable, which allow dogs the freedom to engage in normal activities and not destroy the GPS tracking device. Many of the pet GPS monitoring systems allow owners to set up geo-fences, or boundaries where the pet is allowed to go. If the pet crosses over the line and exits the area, the owner is alerted by phone, email, or text message – whichever is preferred – and can go retrieve the pet. Furthermore, owners can watch their pet’s activities in real time, following every move as they track down the wandering dog.

Pet Tracking Collar

Some GPS devices have additional features, such as an LED light which you can activate through a text message when you get close to your pet. That way if your dog is lost at night, you can use the light to guide you in when you know the general area of your lost pet but not precisely where it is. Other systems allow owners to be notified if a pet’s speed gets too high, such as it would if it is stolen and put into a vehicle.

One family recently located their dog when it escaped out of their yard and got lost in the neighborhood. A look at the GPS tracking device told them right where the dog was, and the pet was safely recovered within an hour.

People who own dogs don’t want their dogs to get lost, but if they do get lost, the owners don’t want to be one of the people whose lost dogs are never returned. But with GPS devices, owners can ensure the safe return of their beloved pet.