GPS real-time tracking of offenders begins in Tasmania, with police hoping to stop abuse before it starts

Updated

A 20-year-old Bridgewater man has become the first Tasmanian to be fitted with ankle bracelet that will monitor his movements in real time.

Two more men suspected of serious or repeated family violence were last week ordered by the courts to wear the ankle bracelets, which track movement using global positioning technology.

The trackers are part of an 18-month trial that began in Hobart this month aimed at reducing family violence. It is expected up to 100 trackers will be in service by the end of the trial.

"Perpetrators of family violence are ultimately responsible for the harm caused by their criminal behaviour. Tasmania police continue to hold those perpetrators to account and that is what we're focussing on from this point on," Assistant Commissioner Richard Cowling said.

"This technology is leading the way to make a difference to people's lives and reduce the incidence of family violence and enhance the safety of the victims."

Police Minister Michael Ferguson said the Tasmanian and Federal governments had allocated more than $2.5 million for an 18-month trial of the use of the trackers on those suspected of serious or repeated family violence.

Under laws introduced in Tasmania last year, police can apply to the courts to have a tracker fitted as a condition of a family violence order.

In an Australian first, it is not necessary for that person to have been convicted, or even charged, with a family violence offence.

Under the Tasmanian trial, victims will also be able to opt to have a tracking device as well that will alert police if they are in the vicinity of their abuser, however they will not be able to monitor the location of their abuser themselves.

"The trial will determine over the next 18 months whether this sort of technology can make a difference to family violence in this state and whether it can make a difference to people's lives," Mr Ferguson said.

"Violence against anyone at all is completely unacceptable in any form … it damages the physical and mental health of the people who experience it and it has a significant short and long-term negative impact on children, we know that."

Hills, valleys to put tech to the test

The capability of the system to deal with Tasmania's hills, valleys and expanse will be put under the spotlight during the trial.

"The purpose of this trial is to allow the project team to assess GPS functionality of the bracelets themselves in the unique Tasmanian topography," Assistant Commissioner Cowling said.

"It will also allow us to assess the capacity that we have in that environment to enforce exclusion zones based on the smaller community that we currently have."

It is hoped police can proactively monitor known offenders and act to intervene when they get too close to their victims, rather than scramble a response once a protection or restraint order has been breached.

"This will provide extra company and safety to the victims," Assistant Commissioner Cowling said, adding the electronic monitoring would also provide additional evidence in court corroborating the victims version of events.

Law Society president Evan Hughes said the trackers raised some concerns about effectively treating suspects as being guilty of a crime even before they got to court.

But he said the rights of the alleged offender had to be balanced with the rights and safety of victim and that in some cases the option of a tracker may mean that alleged abusers are able to be released on bail, where they would normally have to be kept behind bars.

Spain and Portugal are trialling a similar technologies and New South Wales recently started putting GPS trackers on some perpetrators who have existing family violence orders against them upon their release from prison.

Topics: domestic-violence, law-crime-and-justice, laws, tas, hobart-7000

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