Eye in the Sky
by Donna M. Carbone
When
my children were small, each morning began with complaints of “He’s looking at
me. He’s looking at me.”
My
son, Michael, ever the nudge, would position a box of cereal between himself
and his sister and pretend to read, while actually staring her in the face. Jessica
would grow more and more annoyed as her attempts to push the box away failed,
and the whining began. Now, in the context of satellite surveillance of sexual
predators and domestic abusers, her words are music to my ears. “We’re looking
at you. We’re looking at you.”
The
ravages of domestic abuse never fade. Forty years after my escape from a
marriage that nearly took my life, the emotional scars are still visible. I’m
good at playing the part of confident woman. Most days, the act doesn’t take
much effort. Time has honed my performance skills.
In
my recent past, however, going to the post office or grocery store alone was a
major accomplishment. Leaving the house after dark – well, that’s a work in
progress. Pumping gasoline is difficult because I feel exposed and vulnerable
while waiting for the tank to fill. Seldom do I let the gauge go under the half
way mark. “An ounce of prevention…,” as Ben Franklin advised us. Far too many
abused women have learned the painful fact that a “cure” is rarely possible.
As
if my exposure to domestic abuse wasn’t bad enough, five years ago my daughter
was sexually assaulted. Her assailant is serving three life sentences but, as
we all know, in the criminal justice system “life” does not necessarily mean until
a convicted felon stops breathing. 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.
Recently,
I read with great interest about Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) used for
tracking and monitoring violent offenders. According to an article on abuse,
the total number of individuals being surveilled is nearly 10,000, 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 parolees are less likely to assault another person when
they know they are being tracked and since those same experts believe that a
predilection toward rape and pedophilia is incurable, lifetime monitoring of
repeat offenders should be the norm – not the exception – in all fifty states.
According
to a June 2010 report in the San Diego Tribune, the State of California spends
an average of $60 million a year tracking more than 7,000 convicted sex
offenders with GPS. Yet, over 31,000 alerts went unresolved in an area ranging
from Los Angeles through San Bernardino County to the Mexican border. $60 million! 31,000 alerts! How is that
possible?
Research
showed that not all GPS tracking and monitoring systems are alike. Different
systems offer varying levels of protection and, depending on whom you are
talking to, different interpretations of tracking and monitoring. Most
companies that manufacture these systems advertise that their control centers
are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Technically,
that’s true. There is, however, a caveat not as readily offered.
Tracking
merely allows probation officers to see where an offender was when a warning
message was sent to their “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.
Monitoring
is done in “real time,” meaning an offender is never out of sight.
In May of this
year the California Legislature passed Kathy’s Law. It is named for Kathy
Scabarth, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend after he had continuously
ignored the restraining orders against him. The bill allows
judges to place GPS monitoring devices on abusers in conjunction with issuing a
restraining order.
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.
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 knife or a gun or even a fist. GPS
gives women the chance to escape danger before it presents itself.
Florida is
developing a pilot program similar to Kathy’s Law. I contacted Tallahassee for
more details but was unable to get any definitive information. Let’s hope Florida legislators are as forward
thinking as their California counterparts and that Florida women will soon have
the same protections as their sisters on the West Coast.
Remember – any
warning less than immediate – is 59 minutes too late!
No comments:
Post a Comment