Mandatory GPS/Electronic Monitoring for Domestic Violence Offenders
Mandatory GPS/Electronic Monitoring for Domestic Violence Offenders
Why this petition matters
Domestic Violence is a major issue that is NOT discussed enough. Victims are not protected in the ways they should be because the people in charge have no idea what it is like to go through domestic violence or the aftermath. In 2020, there were 91 intimate partner homicides in North Carolina. From 2010 to 2016, North Carolina had 745 domestic violence related homicides. In November of 2019, a woman was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in Durham County NC, after being granted an Order of Protection the previous month. The ex-boyfriend had two prior convictions of assault on a female and was still allowed to walk around free, and murder was the end result.
A restraining order DOES NOT PROTECT YOU. It is a paper trail. It allows police to see what parties were involved in a domestic situation and possibly prohibit the purchasing of a weapon, but they do not protect you when violence is knocking on your front door. Protection orders are said to be effective in approximately 70% of cases, but the other 30% matter to. When they ARE NOT effective, the outcome can be deadly.
The Cindy Bischof Law was passed in Illinois after a woman was murdered by her ex boyfriend after he repeatedly violated the protection order. This law allows for someone who is charged with violating protection orders, the court may order an offender to a complete a risk assessment and may issue, as a condition of bail, that the defendant be placed under electronic surveillance.
Our criminal justice system needs to step up and do something about this. Massachusetts and about 14 other states are starting to use GPS technology for those who violate restraining orders against them. They are required to wear an ankle bracelet that is tracked/ monitored 24/7. They also can’t enter certain zones and are incarcerated with violations. These steps do not need to be Optional, they need to be mandatory. Sign Below so we can push our representatives to Protect and Serve like they swore in to do !
Below is a link to the article written by ABC News Regarding the benefits of Electronic/GPS Monitoring and the Cindy Bischof Law