One in every four GPS devices used to track serious criminals released in Los Angeles County has proved to be faulty, according to a probation department audit — allowing violent felons to roam undetected for days or, in some cases, weeks.
The problems included batteries that wouldn’t hold a charge and defective electronics that generated excessive false alarms. One felon, county officials said, had to have his GPS monitor replaced 11 times over a year; for five days during the 45-day audit period, his whereabouts were unknown. Full Article
Related: Audit: GPS monitoring in L.A. County
Very interesting. What about the GPS devices on the nonviolent, non-dangerous people who are forced to wear them. I bet they are just as worthless!
Strange that the failure rate of the GPS tracking devices is higher than the recidivism rate of most of the people they’re on! Go figure…
Clearly, the public needs a more effective way of analyzing these emotionally charged laws before implementation, and not waiting for system failure before anything is done. How about requiring a “social impact report” before implementing experimental laws. It could be patterned on the environmental impact reports required by the State for projects having potential impact on the environment. Base decisions on science. Such reports could require:
…A cost benefit analysis, including social cost and an independent analysis of benefits, if any.
…Alternatives to the project that could achieve the same goals in a different way, say spending the money on rehabilitation, instead.
…Identifying any social and capital costs that can’t be lessened. Geez, you mean we need a permanent staff to keep these devises working?
…Negative effects on other programs. How many more murders go unsolved as your time is spent tracking faulty devises.
…Cumulative effects to society.
…A public input period when groups such as carsol, victims groups, law enforcement can submit comments, reports and analysis.
The present political system of referendums and rushed legislation, while appearing democratic, is not giving the public the information needed to make rational choices, and pushes concerns for constitutionality onto the courts, and it leaves the task of fixing the system onto those who benefit financially from the product. Doesn’t everyone, including the future generations these laws are claimed to protect, deserve a more a more deliberate and thoughtful approach. An endangered bird, thankfully, gets that consideration. How about humans?
Technology continues to improve. I’ve been wearing the same model of GPS bracelet for five years. The same ones they had since Jessica’s law passed. Likely the same ones they’ll have in five years. Probably a Contract. I’d think NSA can track someone with an “IPhone 5” more accurately than my parole agent can track me.
Are GPS bracelets harming the people who wear them? I wore one for many years. Actually, it was several of them, they kept failing:
http://sosen.org/2013/11/12/are-gps-ankle-bracelets-harming-the-people-that-are-forced-to-wear-them.html
When I was on parole, I had to wear one. In fact, in three years of parole, I wore four different ones. All four had problems. So, if my count is right, that means four in four devices are faulty, not one in four.
American Taxpayers Association, etc., etc., where is the outside analysis of this government waste of our taxes? Not politically correct?
Does anyone have any more information who all has to wear a GPS ankle bracelet? my BF is on probation for a non-violent, no contact, no minors involved criminal act and was told to wear one for the entire three years of probation. He was classified as “High Risk” due to a prior about 13 years ago. Can anyone explain this?