In Florida, one parolee cut his bracelet, got on an interstate and headed for the border. But law enforcement officials, aware of exactly when and where the offender abandoned the bracelet, got right on his trail, put out an all-points bulletin and located him within hours. Now we know immediately if they've cut their bracelet and we then notify law enforcement and the victim. Another GPS fault is that the signal can be lost in tunnels or in dense urban areas. The device has a motion detector, so even if the GPS signal is lost, officials know if the offender is on the move and at what speed.
Victims also benefit from the monitoring system.
For instance, an alarm would sound at a monitoring station if a domestic abuser comes near his victim's home or if a pedophile approaches a school. Victims are told about the benefits and limitations of the system. Fresno County's Price said this technology especially is relevant in his county, where the domestic violence caseload has nearly tripled in the past two years. And with 145 officers monitoring 13,000 probationers, the caseloads average one officer for every 150 juveniles and one officer for every 400 adults. Monitoring stations use Microsoft Corp. Windows-based software and the initial Internet setup costs are minimal.