Tennessee Enacts Groundbreaking Law Regarding GPS Tracking for Violent Domestic Abusers
19 Aug 2024Did you know that 25% of women and 14% of men are victims of domestic abuse? Or that 92% of all female homicide victims are killed by a male perpetrator they know personally?
On April 12, 2021, a mother and daughter outside Nashville were shot and killed by the mother’s estranged husband. The month prior, the offender strangled his wife and threatened her with a wife. On April 12, he was out on bail for this offense. In response to this recent tragedy, a new law has been passed in Tennessee mandating the most violent perpetrators of domestic abuse to use a GPS tracker.
Before this law was passed (and in many other places), judges could mandate GPS trackers put on offenders but often don’t choose to do so. A relative of the victims, Debbie and Marie, recently pushed for this law and helped to get it passed. The new law is named “The Debbie and Marie Domestic Violence Protection Act”.
Why is The Debbie and Marie Domestic Violence Protection Act Important?
Violent domestic abuse is all too common and unfortunately, repeat incidences frequently occur. According to some studies, about half of all domestic abuse survivors report a recurrence of domestic violence within 12 months of the first incidence.
Therefore, this new law will seek to prevent repeat domestic violence on vulnerable individuals and protect them from their original offenders. Lawmakers hope it will reduce the recurrence of domestic violence.
Furthermore, with the advent of this new law in Tennessee, other states may start to pass similar laws that further protect victims of violent domestic abuse.
How Does it Work?
Victims are notified via a phone app or other device whenever they breach an exclusion zone, like their house, or come within a certain radius of the victims. When this happens, victims can receive multiple alerts. Plus, a third-party service will notify law enforcement.
This provides victims with critical time to hide themselves or lock themselves in a safe place to call law enforcement and wait for police to arrive at the scene to protect them and apprehend the offender. Rather than being surprised when an offender comes after victims, victims can be prepared and avoid direct contact altogether.
Takeaway
Violent domestic abuse is all too common and when it does happen, offenders may repeat their violent behaviors and seek out their victims again. With this new law in Tennessee, GPS trackers will help to monitor the location of violent offenders and notify both victims and law enforcement should they get near their victims, thereby preventing repeat offenses and protecting victims.
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