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SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah lawmaker is drafting legislation to strengthen the ability of Utah courts to require GPS monitoring in situations of domestic violence.
“Police don’t have the resources to be enforcing every protective order,” said Rep. Robert Spendlove, R-Sandy.
Spendlove said he is currently drafting legislation that will be introduced during the upcoming legislative session to make it easier for judge’s to impose around-the-clock tracking of defendants.
“This tool is not being used because it’s difficult to administer or it’s difficult to collect,” he said. “We’ve got to be strengthening that and protecting those victims.”
Electronic monitoring would give protective orders more teeth, Spendlove said. He described a system where police and victims receive real-time notifications.
“If someone came too close it would ping their cellphone and tell them, ‘This person is too close. You need to get out of here,’” Spendlove explained. “At the same time it would ping law enforcement and say, ‘You need to be going here to respond to this violation.’”
He anticipates that in many cases, the judge will order the perpetrators to pay the cost of their own monitoring, unless they are financially unable to do so.
“There could be a little bit of a cost,” he said about taxpayers’ portion of the cost. “But it’s certainly going to be a lot less than the cost of a murder.”
The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition supports the Spendlove’s proposed legislation.
“It makes total sense and when you weigh out the ethics of it, it’s unquestionable,” said the coalition’s executive director, Jenn Oxborrow. “We need to do more to hold people accountable.”
GPS monitoring has proven to be effective in other states, Oxborrow said. She argues that the cost to implement the technology on a wider scale in Utah would pale in comparison to the cost of violence.
“The cost of those crimes in our communities is enormous,” she said.
- The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition has a statewide, 24-hour hotline for victims of domestic violence at 1-800-897-LINK (5465).
- The Division of Child and Family Services offers counseling, teaches parenting skills and conflict resolution and can connect the family with community resources. Their goal is to keep children with their family when it is "possible and safe," according to their website. Visitdcfs.utah.gov/questions/or call 1-800-323-DCFS (3237) for resources or to report child abuse or neglect.
- The Christmas Box House acts as a temporary shelter for children and can provide them with new clothing and shoes, among other services. Call the Salt Lake office at 801-747-2201 or the Ogden office at 801-866-0350.
- Partner insults, demean or embarrasses you with put-downs
- Partner controls what you do, who you talk to or where you go
- Partner looks at you or acts in ways that scare you
- Partner pushes you, slaps you, chokes you or hits you
- Partner stops you from seeing your friends or family members
- Partner controls the money in the relationship, takes your money or Social Security check, makes you ask for money or refuses to give you money
- Partner makes all decisions without your input or consideration of your needs
- Partner tells you that you’re a bad parent or threatens to take away your children
- Partner prevents you from working or attending school
- Partner acts like the abuse is no big deal, denies the abuse or tells you it’s your own fault
- Partner destroys your property or threatens to kill your pets
- Partner intimidates you with guns, knives or other weapons
- Partner attempts to force you to drop criminal charges
- Partner threatens to take their life or threatens to kill you
