GPS Tracking and the Law Enforcement Role
| DOI | 10.1350/pojo.2009.82.2.460 |
| Author | Brian K. Payne,Matthew Demichele |
| Published date | 01 June 2009 |
| Date | 01 June 2009 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
MATTHEW DEMICHELE
Council of State Governments/American Probation and Parole
Association, Department of Sociology/University of Kentucky,
Lexington, USA
DR BRIAN K. PAYNE
Department of Criminal Justice, Georgia State University,
Atlanta, USA
GPS TRACKING AND THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT ROLE
An international trend involving the use of electronic techno-
logy to supervise sex offenders has broadened the role of
justice system officials charged with protecting the public from
sex offenders. Guidance has been offered to probation and
parole officers to help them utilise this technology in their
supervision efforts. Virtually no guidance has been offered to
police officers who will likely play an important role in the use
of this technology as it expands in their jurisdictions. This
article reviews the use of GPS technology for sex offenders
with the aim of identifying how different aspects of the
technology are relevant to police officers. Attention is also
given to the law enforcement role in utilising this technology
as part of the collaborative supervision of sex offenders.
Keywords: collaboration, community corrections, elec-
tronic supervision, law enforcement
Introduction
Sex offenders present unique challenges to the policymaking and
justice system practitioner communities. There are few crimes
that scare the public as much, and policymakers try to develop
the most effective strategies to prevent and punish sex offenders.
Over the past decade, legislation has been enacted that increases
responsibility for the community corrections and law enforce-
ment fields to supervise and monitor in the community indi-
viduals convicted for certain sexually related crimes (Farkas &
Stichman, 2002). Law enforcement and community corrections
officers need to know what is expected and/or required of them
by recent legislation.
Throughout much of the western world there is some form of
electronic monitoring used as part of the community supervision
of sex offenders, with global positioning satellite (GPS) devices
becoming the most sought after. There have been several new
134 The Police Journal, Volume 82 (2009)
DOI: 10.1358/pojo.2009.82.2.460
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