The costs of GPS monitoring of criminals April 21, 2007
Posted by Rich in : GPS tracking and public safety, Uncategorized , trackbackNewsday reports on one Long Island community’s probation department that says they don’t have enough officers to track GPS monitored offenders.
John Desmond, director of Suffolk’s probation department, told his staff to stop recommending GPS devices as a condition of probation because the department does not have enough officers to supervise more accused and offenders.
“Additional cases at this time would pose a serious challenge to our ability to respond appropriately to alerts,” Desmond said in the March 9 memo obtained by Newsday.
Currently, 10 probation officers working in three shifts track the whereabouts of 50 criminals and defendants around the clock to ensure they don’t go where they’re not supposed to, Desmond said.
Monitoring criminals via GPS tracking systems is a costly endeavor, and one that is likely to be labor intensive if it is to be at all effective. This is a feel-good solution for politicians, who are able to put forth bills that make for great headlines, but too often are not backed up with the bucks (or the brains) to make for effective deterrents.
These are not perfect solutions. Monitoring is key. Remember as well, that GPS tracking devices can be cut off and removed. GPS tracking of criminals does have a place, but it needs thoughtful, not knee-jerk implementation.
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