MI- Law enforcement, victims' advocates tout new (USE OF) GPS system that would track accused stalkers, batterers

7-5-2008 Michigan:

Keeping tabs on accused stalkers and batterers could get a lot more high-tech.

Until now, defendants were prevented only by a judge's order from contacting their victims.

But if Gov. Jennifer Granholm signs a bill recently approved unanimously by the State Senate, those defendants could wear a GPS monitoring system as a condition of their release.

Designed like an electronic tether, the device would warn authorities - and victims, via their own device - if the defendant comes near.

The measure is being lauded by Washtenaw County's law enforcement officials and victims' advocates, although they expressed some concern over the potential cost and logistics.

To qualify for release from jail, defendants would have to agree to pay for trackers that lock onto an ankle while their cases are pending.

The bill also would require them to pay for GPS trackers for victims and the courts so authorities are immediately notified when violations occur. In addition, it prohibits defendants from possessing firearms and visiting areas specified by victims.

The measure was introduced last year after a Mt. Pleasant woman was shot to death by her husband outside her workplace, despite pending criminal charges and a court-issued personal protection order.

Supporters of the bills argued that the case highlights vulnerabilities in the system's approach to protecting survivors of abuse.

"A personal protection order is only as effective as the assailant's respect for the court, and that's not usually very high," said Pittsfield Township Deputy Police Director Elizabeth McGuire. "It's significant because many domestic attacks on women happen before there's a judicial outcome, and the violence frequently escalates as the suspect loses control of the situation."

Similar tracking measures are already allowed for repeat drunken drivers and other offenders. But authorities note that those cases are not largely about control - unlike domestic violence and stalking.

"Control is what's taken away from victims in these cases, and hopefully this can put them in a position to regain some of that control that they lost from an individual lurking in the shadows," Ann Arbor Detective Sgt. Richard Kinsey said. "Anything we can do to keep close tabs on these guys will help."

Police say a good example of what the law is designed for occurred recently in Ann Arbor.

A man was arrested for following his ex-girlfriend around downtown Ann Arbor on different occasions and is accused of stealing her purse and causing $1,300 damage to her vehicle, police said.

The 20-year-old man had previously been charged with domestic assault and was served with a personal protection order in early May, court records show. He's now jailed on six felony charges, including aggravated stalking, unarmed robbery and larceny.

Barbara Niess, executive director of SafeHouse Center - a Pittsfield Township-based nonprofit that serves survivors of domestic and sexual assault - said tethers should be considered a valuable tool, but not a replacement for stern punishment.

"What this law will do is give judges more freedom to hold batterers accountable," she said. "But you can't put a tether on someone and just expect them to change. It doesn't keep them from continuing the abuse."

Niess and others also questioned how the law will be enforced in tough economic times.

The Department of Corrections estimates the daily cost of global positioning monitoring to be $13 - and it could be higher with another service provider.

It's not yet clear whether the measure could have any financial impact on local municipalities.

-Not clear? It is well known that there are many false signals due to all sorts of conditions, tall buildings, trees, going underground (basements), etc. Lawmakers are ignoring these well known GPS problems.


..News Source.. by Art Aisner