You've seen its utility for the soldier, the car, and the cell phone; now GPS (Global Positioning System) devices are being deployed to protect victims of domestic violence.
A new law in Michigan recently granted judges the power to order domestic violence suspects to wear GPS devices. The devices relay information about the suspects whereabouts to authorities through satellites. As a result, police can monitor whether or not a suspect breaks court orders and gets too close to those they may intend to abuse.
The law's passage is attributed to the family of Mary Babb-a Michigan woman stalked and murdered by her estranged husband. Prior to being rammed in her car by her husband, then shot to death by him, Babb had obtained a restraining order. But he continued to stalk her anyway.
Following her death, Babb's family lobbied Michigan's legislators for a bill that would provide protection beyond a restraining order. The solution was a law that gave judges the right to not only order a suspect to wear a GPS tracking device, but to also give the order before the trial ever occurs. That way, there would be less of a chance for the suspect to do any harm while awaiting trial.
"This could happen to your niece or your daughter, or to your sister, your neighbor, your friend or even your mother," said Mary Babb's aunt, Paula Andresen of LeRoy to the Associated Press. "No one deserves to live in such fear and terror. We have to do everything possible to change this, to make laws to protect the victims."
The GPS devices can be programmed to alert police if the suspect comes within a certain distance of the victim. But the true ingenuity of the technology stems from its ability to issue an alert to the victim's cell phone that the suspect is approaching.
"This returns some of the power and self-control of victims' own lives back to them," said Michigan Rep. Bill Caul to the Associated Press.
A similar law was signed into effect this month in Michigan that requires paroled prisoners who have been convicted of aggravated stalking to wear GPS tethers.
Other states have adopted similar laws. Last year, Massachusetts adopted a law allows judges to require electronic monitoring of people who violate personal protection orders. The Associated Press reported that "Michigan, Oklahoma and Hawaii followed suit this year with GPS laws, bringing to 11 the number of states with related measures, said Diane Rosenfeld, a lecturer at Harvard Law School who proposed the Massachusetts law."
The GPS trackers do have a few limitations. If cell phone service is poor, victims may not be able to receive the call. Buffer zones created between the suspect and victim have to be large enough so victims have enough time to react if the suspect breaks the restriction and begins stalking. And of course there is the issue of batteries. Should the GPS device batteries die or the technology break, the protection it affords erodes.
Then there is the legal issue: is it unconstitutional to make a suspected abuser wear the same device used to track pedophiles and other sex offenders? From a purely legal perspective, one could argue that creating an embarrassing punishment for someone not yet convicted of anything violates the nation's innocent until proven guilty statute.
You can bet the courts will see their handful of such claims in the future, as more and more states adopt GPS laws. In the meantime, domestic abuse victims should breath a little easier knowing help is on the way.
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