Satellite Tracking System To Keep Eye On Criminals
The Tallahassee Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement plan to launch the CrimeTrax satellite-tracking system after Congress approved $1 million for the project.
The Florida Department of Corrections uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) already to monitor sex offenders and other potentially dangerous parolees. The system tracked 600 probationers from 2000 to 2001, with no reports of those monitored committing any crimes.
The CrimeTrax system also uses GPS to monitor statewide the whereabouts of parolees, those under house arrest, and suspects given pre-trial release.
Crime experts estimated 30 percent of criminal acts are committed by parolees. Officers can use the system to see if any parolees committed any unsolved crimes by looking at their location at the time of incident.
The parolee wears an ankle bracelet connected to a monitoring device, which is in turn linked to the satellites.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Bradenton Herald (02/15/03) P. 14; Rosica, James L.