GPS would save women's lives

My sincere thanks to Randy Schultz of the Palm Beach Post for publishing my editorial on domestic abuse. Unfortunately, as is the way with media these days, it cannot be read online unless you pay so... I'm printing it below for those who are interested in what needs to be done to help women in these untenable situations.

Re: GPS would save women’s lives

Reading Pastor J. R. Thicklin’s editorial on the need for gun sale background checks for domestic abusers, I was vividly reminded of how close I had come to sharing Watisha Wallace’s fate. In the 1970s, no one talked openly about domestic abuse. I remember my then mother-in-law telling me, “Til death do you part means even if by murder.” Sadly, that sentiment is still true today.

The ravages of domestic abuse never fade. Forty years after my escape, the emotional scars are still visible. As if my exposure to domestic abuse wasn’t bad enough, six years ago my daughter was raped (PB Post Accent “I’m a Survivor” 10/26/13). Needless to say, I am a major proponent of anything that will protect women and children from the very real possibility of death that is too often their fate.

According to a recent article on abuse, nearly 10,000 predator paroles are being surveilled by GPS tracking/monitoring systems, yet only 23 states are using this technology. That means a lot of women and children are living in fear of their lives on a daily basis. Since experts believe that offenders are less likely to assault another person when they know they are being watched, lifetime monitoring should be the norm – not the exception – in all fifty states.

Please note that there is a huge difference between tracking and monitoring. Monitoring is done in real time, meaning the offender is never out of sight. Tracking merely allows a probation officer to see where an offender was when a warning message was sent to his in box – not where that offender is at the present moment. An hour or more might pass before that warning is retrieved and, by then, the offender may already have committed another crime. 

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that many thousands of protective orders are issued every year and that more than half of them are violated. Three women are killed every day due to domestic violence in the United States. Every year, 1.5 million women are physically assaulted by a partner or spouse. Stalking affects 3.4 million adults annually in the U.S.

In May of last year the California Legislature passed Kathy’s Law, named for Kathy Scharbarth, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend after he had continually ignored the restraining orders against him. The bill had been a long time coming and allows judges to place GPS devices on abusers in conjunction with issuing a restraining order.

With Kathy’s Law, California women finally have a means to protect themselves. It’s not foolproof, but it’s a start. For far too long, family court judges have acted as though restraining orders were akin to a Kevlar vest. They’re not! They are made of paper and can’t stop a weapon… not a bullet, a blade or a fist. GPS gives women the chance to escape danger before it presents itself. 

Florida had pilot programs similar to Kathy’s Law in three jurisdictions (including Orange and Seminole Counties) but due to lack of funding, they are no longer being used in the state. Experts in law enforcement believe that GPS programs that allow for criminal rather than civil charges to be brought when a violation occurs are a major deterrent to repeat offenses. 

Let’s hope Florida legislators are as forward thinking as their California counterparts and that Florida women statewide will be given the same protections as their sisters on the West Coast. 

Remember – any warning less than immediate – is 59 minutes too late!