27 Sep Electronic Tracking and Personal Protection Orders
Personal protection orders are a great concept. The idea behind a personal protection order is that anyone who files one gain a level of physical protection from a person who they perceive as a threat because the person they took the order out against isn’t allowed to be within a specified distance.
The problem with traditional personal protection orders is that they are little more than a piece of paper. If the order is violated, then the police can make an arrest, but they seldom know that there is a violation until you report the incident. By then, the person you filed the order against could have seriously harmed you.
Today the technology exists to really make the personal protection program safe and viable. All that’s needed is electronic monitoring. It’s especially effective if everyone involved in the personal protection order is wearing an electronic tracking device.
The great thing about the electronic tracking system is that it tracks both your movements and the movements of the person you’ve filed the protection order against. The team that’s monitoring the system can use the information the system generates to see if the person is in the same spot as you are and potentially causing trouble. This allows the authorities to be sent in so they can resolve the situation before it gets out of hand.
The other thing the electronic system does is identify who arrives as a common location first. This can be especially useful if the person you filed the report against claims that you’re making false reports. A simple look back at the data shows if they were at a grocery store, park, or club after you did. If they did, it can be used as proof that they’re violating the order.
Perhaps the most important thing the electronic monitoring system does is alert the authorities to potentially dangerous behavior. If the data collected by the electronic monitoring system indicates that the person you named in the order is following your movements, but at a distance that doesn’t technically violate the order, it indicates a pattern of stalking that could cumulate in a dangerous situation. As soon as this stalking behavior is noted, an appropriate course of action can be taken.
Electronic monitoring paired with personal protection orders will help save lives.