Excellent article: well written, informative, and concise.
10
Here is part of a letter I wrote to a female therapy client's attorney, several years ago:
"My brief and confident assessment is that T---- is one of several women I’ve seen who grew up abused and severely victimized by narcissistic and authoritarian fathers and weak mothers, were raised to be limping doormats, and who later gravitate to narcissistic, antisocial, controlling men who clean up nice and smell like a rose in court. This faux-manly presentation typically, in my experience, fools judges and BOTH sides’ attorneys." "Pardon my bluntness, but it has always bothered me to see these women getting battered once again by the legal system. . . ."
The women are never, obviously, at fault for their abuse, but they often do not present a self-affirming stance at court or even before their own attorney. They must press charges. They must care for themselves and their children -- not try to "save" or "help" their "problem man."
4
Of course, if he hadn't received bail, he couldn't have killed her either.
Perhaps part of the solution is to deny bail to those credibly accused of violent crimes.
4
This is an incredibly well written piece that touches on something that has been ignored for far to long—the rates of murder in domestic abuse cases.
GPS trackers must be used to save lives. Immediately.
14
Thank you, Ms. Valencia, for this powerful piece. It is far past time that we stop dismissing domestic abuse and see it for what it is--a serious crime.
GPS trackers will save lives. It must be done.
15
I think this is a great idea. They are just as damaging and damning as a sexual predator. Get it done nationwide please.
8
Restraining orders are notoriously weak. While law enforcement may have improved somewhat in the last couple of decades, it is still hard to get them enforced. When I had one against my estranged husband, it was almost impossible. He broke the terms of the order almost daily without any consequences.
The measures described here could significantly decrease injury and death among victims of domestic violence. I doubt my state, which has the dubious distinction of being first in such deaths, will enact any of them. I hope others do.
10
Incredibly well written piece. As a retired cop, who tried very hard to take domestic abuse seriously, unlike many others--GPS tracking is a much needed game changer. It will save lives.
When a woman is killed by a partner every 16 hours, it is far past time for serious action.
19
Considering the fact that cops exhibit one of the highest rates of domestic abuse of any abuser, it’s hardly surprising that they aren’t inclined to protect victims.
7
Outstanding piece. I worked in criminal and family court for ten years. Saw judges routinely dismiss abuse cases, no matter how hard we advocated for them. One day the judge told a battered women if she kept exaggerating about the abuse he inflicted on both her and her son, he would take away her child.
Two days later that same abuser murdered his son and tried to murder her. The judge should be behind bars himself, he has blood all over his hands.
GPS tracking can save lives--and any posters here that are so worried about the offenders "privacy" rights need to stop being complicit in murder.
29
This is going to be a good article because while the device may fail for technical reasons sometimes, aTRO can fail at any time depending on the person given one.
5
As a layman, I've noticed there are generally three
contributing agencies in the dynamic of abuse:
> The Abusers; motivated by the power they enjoy from inflicting emotional and physical cruelty. To varying degrees, they are devoid of empathy, compassion and ethical perceptions of right and wrong. They are so self-centered that their behavior makes justifiable sense to them. Many are keen judges in targeting the most vulnerable of victims. And they are remorseless.
Victims; often vulnerable to abuse due to resigned acceptance of a subordinate, powerless role in a relationship.
The Enablers: Observers that withdraw to avoid involvement. Or, they may deny, rationalize, justify or secretly take vicarious satisfaction in the abuse. Enablers are the deviant (codependent?) element that empowers the most crafty of the sociopathic abusers who are adept at attracting and manipulating that support.
These patterns often emerge in families, then manifest in schoolyard bullying and can expand to infect widespread elements of entire cultures and their governing authorities.
As Misha Valencia has documented, the most effective management and prevention of abusive behavior is the certainty of swift detection and penalties. I would add that the governing law, prosecution, conviction and sentencing should be independent of the victim's often dysfunctional defense of the criminal.
5
When people know they are being watched, they behave much, much better than when nobody knows what they are doing.
15
I definitely think that GPS is needed in these situations, but there is an issue here that no one ever addresses.
I understand if these victims are open to predators because they grew up in a violent household, or one with drug or alcohol addiction, or someone picks them without any prior relationship and the victim has no control, but why do women who grow up in a healthy family end up in these situations?
I am not victim blaming, but there is so much information out there in regards to the signs of someone who is an abuser and do not understand why women in the early stages have so little respect for themselves that they do not stop the first time someone asks about there whereabouts constantly, tries to make them stop seeing family or friends, looks at their phone or computer activity, or the first slap or physical contact.
It is a long process of grooming by the men before it gets to the courts.
All the GPS and law enforcement are the last steps in a long process.
Why do women let themselves be groomed into being abuse victims?
1
@marie Hi Marie. Not sure if I am allowed to put links here but I recommend looking up Leslie Morgan Steiner's TED talk "why domestic violence victims don't leave". Abusers often act in a cycle: love bombing, inflicting harm, love bombing/cooling off, inflicting harm. They repeat patterns with partners to see what they can get away with, like other predators who build trust with victims/community before attacking. Abusers work instinctively and prey on victims insecurities and vulnerabilities, making them doubt themselves and their experiences. For male on female abuse, I think female socialization to be caring and nurturing comes into play as abusers often cast themselves as victims. Really recommend Steiner's work for anyone wondering why women from "good situations" end up in the DV cycle, as this was Steiner's experience.
8
Excellent piece that touches on something we should have been doing for decades. If people do not want to be tracked, then don't repeatedly violate an order of protection and assault others.
This type of monitoring saves lives. Period.
12
Valencia implies all violators of restraining orders are trying to kill or injure their former partners. But many are just trying to see their children. What if the parents meet to exchange the children at slightly the wrong location and the police roar up to throw him to the ground and handcuff him in front of his horrified children? What if they're supposed to exchange the kids at the mall and then the mother says, "Let's go for an ice cream!" Ditto.
My former common-law spouse invited me into my house to reconcile by having me spend US$7000 on a Baltic cruise she wanted to go on with me and our child -- 100% her idea. I thought, "What's $7000 to reconcile with my family?" But while I was phoning agencies to get the right cruise and cabin, she trapped me in a room, barricaded the door and called 911 to say I had broken in and was attacking her. Presumably she was seeking revenge for my affairs, though her worsening alcoholism was also a factor. (No less than three unconnected people have called police and/or children's aid when they saw her driving drunk with our child. I never did because I was too scared of her.) Children have a right to see their daddies and people like Valencia, who incredibly doesn't even mention the complications created by the need for contact for access, are part of the problem.
1
Nope.
Except that these aren’t ppl who are just calmly trying to see their kids.
When a women is killed every 16 hours by a former partner then your point is mute.
This is targeted at violent, repeat offenders and saves lives...and dismissing it as if it will hurt all those poor misunderstood offenders is being complicit in murder.
19
@Jeff White
Nice try. These are not ppl who accidentally violated an order and were just going about their day.
These are repeat offenders that have multiple assault charges against them. They are offenders with a history of chronic violence.
The article is about GPS tracking, not barriers to visitation, try to stay on point.
18
A man in one of my college classes argued seriously that women should have no problem with attacks from their exes because, "you can always get a restraining order."
In what universe is a man who is willing to face a murder one charge to "get back at" his ex going to be stopped by the punishment he would receive for violating a restraining order?
If you think about it, those ankle bracelets are not only going to save a lot of women-- they are also going to save a lot of men from taking actions they will regret for the rest of their lives.
14
Call me paranoid, but I don’t find the Supreme Court’s circumvention of what might constitute a Fourth Amendment violation to be at all reassuring.
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
Of course domestic homicides are the most prevalent sort, just like most victims of kidnapping know their abductors. Most people don’t kill other people for no reason. This is not a good reason to put law enforcement in the hands of Big Brother.
1
@ubique
Actually, it is the perfect reason...when a woman is murdered every 16 hours--then serious action must be taken.
If they don't want to be monitored--then don't violate restraining orders and assault people.
I am an attorney and when we are talking about these staggering rates of murder then these protections must be put into place--the alternative is far, far worse.
27
@ubique I think you could argue the reverse: that not protecting victims violates their right to be secure in their homes. I would think tracking someone who has shown he is willing to terrorize his partner might count as "probable cause" for some kind of monitoring.
18
Anyone else notice how all of the stories on this comment thread include a judge who ignored the danger?
Methinks a judge getting sued in civil court for failure to do his job (and the subsequent murder of a woman he could have saved) might remind judges that there are real-world consequences to their laziness.
26
My ex stalked me for a couple of years, until finally some woman came along and diverted his attention. My lawyer's biggest worry was that Ex had a gun, a little .22 pistol, and that he was going to use it on me. I was overjoyed to hear that Ex had finally died, but even now, years later, the symptoms of PTSD are still with me. My shrink tells me that the trauma was so deep that the symptoms will be there for the rest of my life.
19
Known domestic abusers should not be allowed to work in any sector of law enforcement, or any part of the legal system in which DV survivors are likely to have to come in contact with their biases: judges, lawyers, cops, parole officers, child services, etc. You can't get a nationwide GPS program in place fast enough- one strike- bracelet. Prove yourself if you want it off. We've given men passes on this for far too long.
112
I agree wholeheartedly. My daughter was a DV victim. Her ex-husband is now a deputy sheriff. Not a single person spoke to anyone in our family through his hiring process. The fact that he is now a law enforcement officer is terrifying.
18
As an attorney that represents DV victims, this is an outstanding piece that talks about something many of us in the field have been advocating for years--GPS tracking is necessary to save victims lives. In my last case, I represented a woman who was choked and beaten by her ex--the judge let her abuser go 24 hours after he attacked her.
He came to her house that day and tried to kill her...had we been able to track him she would have been alerted he was headed in her direction and had a chance to escape.
115
Unfortunately, I've heard of people being able to escape their monitoring devices. The sorts of abusers who kill their victims are going to be just the sorts of people who think that literally they have nothing better to do than to find a way to escape monitoring. A more robust system certainly will be necessary.
2
There will always be glitches—but it is still worth doing!
15
Do “sanctuary” states tell the Immigration Service when an unauthorized immigrant who has been convicted of domestic violence is about to be released from prison? I’ve read that the State of California requires an unauthorized immigrant to have 3 separate convictions for domestic abuse before it will turn him (or her) over to ICE. Could this be true?
I wonder about the relation of religion to domestic violence. Much of patriarchy comes from it, but also many men get away with DV and other abuses because they are "respectable" and checking the religion block is part of becoming respectable. Many abusers married their spouses in a church and the victim forebears initially because of religion. Does anything immoral get someone decertified as a good church going gentleman, or is it only doctrinal heterodoxy? If religion is neither necessary nor sufficient for morality, isn't it immoral for it to claim to be both?
5
If cost of GPS monitoring is the deal breaker, I'd bet that a simple Go-Fund-Me would raise more than enough to endow a Fund!
9
Good idea. But PLEASE let's stop calling them "domestic batterers" and just call them "batterers." Likewise, let's stop talking about "domestic violence," "domestic homicide," and "domestic abuse" and just say "violence," "homicide," and "abuse." The continued use of this qualifier intentionally or unintentionally suggests that there is something "different" about this sort of violence, abuse, and killing. And there IS something different; in a way it is worse because the victim is battered, abused, or killed by someone they thought loved them and who they loved. That dynamic is indeed "different" in some ways, but in the most important ways it is the same as any violence. And the descriptive qualifier "domestic" reads as "less serious," "not real" violence, abuse, etc. Even worse, it often serves as shorthand to trigger victim-blaming narratives that offer excuses for law makers' and law enforcemnt's inaction. Time should be up for that.
19
@TRP
I get your point, but the reason they make this distinction in research (I am a researcher) is because if they do not call it "domestic" homicide or "intimate partner" homicide then the studies (which helps get funding) lump all murders in together-- and we do not get the information needed on who was killed by a partner--it's all seen as the same.
Sometimes these distinctions are needed.
26
This is in the interest of the abusers as well. Either they've served their time or the justice system has determined that they're safe to live and work in the community as long as they stay away from their former partner. The road to recovery is long and there are usually setbacks along the way -- GPS trackers can help ensure safety during the unstable time. The disadvantages seem very minor compared with the benefits.
9
It seems everything today has an “electronic” solution. First, we get online and advertise ourselves to a wider audience, not in the least understanding what it is we’re getting ourselves into, then we get into a pickle with someone, someone whose advertising themselves online demonstrates in all probability some sort of “awkward” or “odd” behavior that precludes them from direct interaction in the first place. Then this person, this man or woman I might add, gets into a relationship, starts some kind of mental of physical abuse, eventually leading to domestic violence charges. Now the “authorities” are involved. And now, thanks to electronic media, we want greater involvement. Yes, I think this is a brilliant solution. That way we can all eventually live as our lowly cousins, the ANT.
Your response is a callous disregard for murder.
Because it’s electronic we should ignore it, even if it saves lives?
The absurdity of that logic...
Every 16 hrs a woman is murdered by a partner—that is the point here. Doing nothing or rejecting surveillance is being complicit in these murders.
22
@Siniq Ironicus
Sure, let's just keep letting these murderers walk free...let's not step in and save lives because you are more concerned about murderers privacy.
GPS trackers work. They save lives. THAT is what matters.
11
What is the parallel action when a non-spouse makes the same threats or attacks?
It would be telling if we are actually giving benefits to a marriage history.
That's true Patronizing.
2
Thank you, Ms. Valencia, for this outstanding article.
In 2006 my ex-husband tried to strangle me, The judge let him off with a warning and said it must have been a "misunderstanding."
Two days later he came after me with a knife. The DA recommended a GPS tracker while he was on bail. It saved my life, he tried to come to my job one day right before xmas. I was notified immediately and the police showed up at my job in less then a minute. When they finally arrested him--he had a gun on him and was ready to kill me.
That tracker saved my life. Anyone who comes on here and tries to say "we need more research" before we do this...is complicit in murder.
167
Thank you for sharing your story.
25
@Jessie
Thank you so much for sharing your story of survival. Every politician in the country should read this article and your comment.
24
@Jessie
It's a good thing you live in Connecticut.
You will be safe only if he is kept in prison. That's the next needed step.
10
In 2010 my ex-boyfriend tried to kill me. He attacked me while I held my 2 month old baby. Right before he was arrested he said to me "no-one will ever believe you over me"...he was a powerful lawyer and knew everyone in our town.
He was right--the judge let him go the next day. He came after me again and again--only to be arrested and released within 24 hrs.
I installed cameras, had a restraining order, all of it, but no one took it seriously. One night he attacked me as I was walking to my car--this time a man who was walking his dog saw it and intervened. That same man testified on my behalf in court. The judge only took it seriously that time because there was an eye witness who also happened to be a retired cop.
It is sickening how our culture disbelieves, dismisses and ignores this type of violence. This article is absolutely spot on--a GPS tracker could have helped me in so many ways.
We need to stop gambling with peoples lives and DO something.
163
How many women report having been assaulted by our president? This speaks volumes about a society that not only refuses to remove such a person from the highest office in the land but also includes huge swaths of the population who enthusiastically cheer him on with chants such as lock her up and send her back.
21
Why don't we try to get police to actually care about DV? Then, if that doesn't work we can implement dystopian panopticon.
1
@sedanchair
It isn't one or the other...do both.
Tracking is needed now--victims do not have time to wait for the police to wake up--their lives are being threatened NOW.
It isn't "dystopian" to expect a person who has assaulted someone repeatedly and evaded jail to need better monitoring--it is life saving.
25
@Natalie Lots of things would save lives, but not all of them are acceptable from a perspective of civil rights. It's easy to promote intrusive measures when the subject is unpopular (rightly so, in this case), but it also encourages the broader application of those measures.
I'm familiar with the broad use of monitoring in two other contexts. The first is immigration, where detainees are released pending trial. The second is here in King County, WA, where a push for "zero youth detention" promotes monitoring over detention. In both cases, there are no real safety concerns that monitoring addresses, only political considerations. In the case of DV, there is a much more compelling argument, but I think we would still find it disproportionately applied to people of color.
It seems to me that the common factor in these terrible stories of DV is a justice system that doesn't value womens' lives. That is something no technology can fix.
5
@sedanchair
That argument is exactly why people keep being murdered and none of it is compelling enough to not track high risk abusers.
We shouldn't NOT save lives simply because it may or may not do this or that. What you don't seem to realize is that with domestic abuse it is specifically used in cases where the potential lethality risk is very high.
Victims in mortal danger can't sit around and wait for the justice system to decide to evolve and finally value women--they need protection now...or they may end up dead.
7
And then put the perpetrators on a registry, akin to that for sex offenders or child abusers, make them report their addresses, and perhaps prohibit them from living within 1000 yards of a woman.
14
This is a very well-written article with good ideas for preventing murders and assaults by DV abusers. However, I have a simpler idea.
Keep abusers locked up. Ostensibly, we release criminals from prison when they're "rehabilitated." But if, after release, they are still so dangerous and potentially violent that they must be monitored 24/7 how are they rehabilitated?
5
@JRR
Many of them were not in prison--they are released on bail awaiting trial when they kill. Judges let repeat offenders out less then a day after assaulting someone and violating an order of protection. GPS tracking is needed during this "pre-trial" phase so victims lives can be saved.
24
Given the statistics on deterrence, this idea is a no brainer. What is law enforcement waiting for?
What especially makes me furious is that if someone threatens a person in public office, police rush to confront the threatener. When us, plain Jane Does, have to deal with someone who wants us maimed or dead, no such luck.
56
Thank you, Ms. Valencia, for this excellent, thought provoking piece.
A few years ago I represented a woman in a custody case. Her ex was very abusive and threatened her life when she left. He had several assault charges against him and was let out on bail till the trial. He violated the restraining order six times and was never jailed. I told the judge she feared for her and her kids lives and that he was capable of deadly violence, especially after the last attack left her with two black eyes and a fractured arm—he scoffed at us and said “a black eye isn’t the same as a gun to your head” ....(I even filed a motion to have the case transferred to another judge—it was denied) ....two weeks later he broke into her house with a gun and tried to kill her. She survived because a neighbor called 911 when he heard a scream.
It’s absolutely appalling what the legal system puts victims through. If we only had been able to use a GPS tracker on him maybe she could have finally slept at night without worrying she wouldn’t wake up in the morning.
97
"Every 16 hours, a woman in the United States is fatally shot by a current or former partner."
Do you have data about how many men and children are victims of domestic violence?
5
There is plenty of data out there for you to read.
Of course children are deeply impacted by domestic abuse—no one said otherwise.
But THIS piece is about better tracking of repeat offenders.
11
@S.G. Why is it that whenever numbers like this are reported, someone always has to ask, "But what about...?" I am sure that these numbers are also available. But that is not the problem she is writing about. That is a different article. However, I am sure that if there was a woman who was threatening and dangerous to her partner of any sex, she ought to have similar treatment.
Do you deny that the VAST majority of people who have been writing, enforcing, and judging the laws against violence of any kind, have largely been white men? Give that undeniable fact, it would not be at all surprising that the laws are written, enforced, and adjudicated from their own perspective.
13
Great idea to require GPS tracking. In addition, let’s have judges add the names of abusers to a public list after making a judicial determination that DV occurred to warn potential future partners. Guys who have used violence against domestic partners are likely to use violence against their future partners and other people. This is not something that is random or caused by a woman. DV is a type of sexual assault that should be treated in a similar manner.
17
Domestic violence is about power. A given.We have a sex offenders list, so tracking in whatever form would be a start. How many would have been spared if this was the law? Get started.
13
My father was bipolar. When manic, he would physically attack my mother (and my brother and me). When not manic, he was a fine husband and father. When Mom and Dad were 52 and Mom finally filed for divorce in NJ, he choked her to death. I am writing a memoir titled Within the Family, which deals with the domestic abuse. Very very difficult to revisit that experience. A watch list for batterers? Doubt it would have saved my mother. Important to note that mental illness is frequently present in domestic violence.
19
@Anne Russell
I am sorry for what you experienced and what happened to your mother.
Better surveillance and GPS tracking has saved lives for many victims. Even if we cannot (very unfortunately) save all victims, it is still important that we try. These trackers are a good start.
12
@Anne Russell
I applaud you for your courage and perseverance. I can’t wait to read your memoir. We need stories like yours to inform and inspire us. We need to understand this pattern in all its diverse manifestations so we can recognize the patterns early on and take action before it’s too late.
8
There is absolutely no reason for any man to hit a woman, unless of course it is self defense. Domestic battery should be treated same as attempted murder and given the same punishment.
12
In the 1960's a free women's newspaper, published weekly in New York City, included a section that named domestic abusers in order to protect people, usually women, from violent encounters.
Domestic abusers should be tracked and outed. The continual relentless abhorrent violence, mostly against women, has to stop.
20
Multiple studies have found that both men and women are equally culpable in cases of domestic violence. But let's just blame and shackle males, shall we? It makes for a much more engaging article for some.
@Emer Itus
Nice try.
One of the leading causes of death for women is intimate partner homicide. Women are dying at staggering rates and you are defensive and worried about men being blamed.
They are being referenced in these studies--ibecause they are the ones perpetuating the violence.
Found the incel....
19
@Emer Itus You must not have read the statistics. Not anywhere near equal; 90% male. Because of testosterone and cultural factors (male dominance). Don't defend the indefensible.
18
@Emer Itus What "studies" might that be? That is a pretty bold assertion. I have a suggestion for you. If you subscribe to a local paper, just look for the number of cases reported in the local paper involving a woman killed by her husband, ex-husband, boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, would-be boyfriend, or some self-identified "incel." Do that for a month. Cross-reference with official statistics to correct for reporting bias. Then see whether you think this is an equal opportunity crime. Or maybe you think homicide victims are "equally culpable" for their own killing?
10
Great article. Let's start with GPS tracking to bring this subject out of the closet. Then, let's work on the subtle and not so subtle ways our society shames those involved in domestic abuse relationships. Victims are so isolated. Perpetrators are ignored. It's not anyone's favorite topic, but we need to bring it out into the open. Did you know that a woman who is a legally documented victim of abuse is required to tell her employer in California? This is to protect the victim, but it's also to protect the workplace. Does this stigmatize the victim? Uh, yeah. Does it make it likely that the employer may consider this when looking at promoting or keeping the employee? Women are victimized by their abusers, and the economic consequences can be devastating. We need a thorough exposure of this subject, time to take it out of the shadows. Thank you for this piece.
17
We could also shed some journalistic light on why the judicial system continues to fail when it comes to serious crimes, but succeeds in the petty crimes.
11
Multnomah County ( Portand,Oregon) pioneered Supervised Pre Trial Release in the early 80's. Pre-trial detainees, charged with Assault 4, (Domestic violence) have to meet explicit criteria before being considered for release including: staff contacting the victim and getting their consent for release ( are they afraid?), separate residence pending adjudication of criminal charges, no drug or alcohol consumption, maintain employment or seek employment, daily or weekly check in with staff in the office and home visits. And, where appropriate, electronic monitoring. This program offers enhanced supervision far different from ROR and a mee promise to appear in court. It is a heavily supervised and very effective program reducing re offense rates by 75% long term and virtually eliminating contact with the victim while charges are pending.
11
Thank you for this excellent and much needed article. In 2008 my ex threw me on the ground and tried to choke me when I was holding my newborn baby--he almost killed me. I got a restraining order, he violated it, he was arrested and then released a day later--every single time.
Then, he tried to kill me. The cops, judges and DA all shrugged it off--I survived by going into hiding. NO ONE should have to live like that. A GPS tracker would have been life changing for my family and I.
45
GPS devices on judicial money, fine. But greater collective consent on individual surveillance will obliterate liberty to dissent in other societal fields.
2
Except there is nothing in this piece about other kinds of surveillance— it is about saving victims lives in high risk abuse cases. When a woman is murdered every 16 hrs by a partner—its time for serious action.
If a repeat abuser that has assaulted and terrorized someone has to lose a bit of privacy with a tracker—good.
24
In nearly all of these murders alcohol played a significant role.
Whatever it takes to keep women safe, Draconian our not, we must do. Take alcohol and firearms out of their hands, and women will be much safer. Alcoholics Anonymous could play a role in educating its members as to these elevated dangers. Anybody arrested for an alcohol-related misdemeanor should have his firearms confiscated until he has been successfully rehabilitated for at lengthy period of time. Take his driving privileges away AND his firearms at the same time.
Around 40% of all woman killings is by an intimate partner or spouse. Think about that.
8
Someone who has their driving privileges taken away could easily lose their job. Does that seem helpful?
1
We might consider restricting driving privileges to work commutes only but conditioned on 1) cessation of all alcohol 2) surrender of firearms until a future date where certain conditions have been met.
8
The first thing that has to change is our society's attitude towards women. Once women are valued as equal members of society then mechanisms will be put in place to protect us.
35
Yes. This piece is spot on. I have been researching DV and criminality for almost a decade and repeat offenders do not stop unless there are real consequences. GPS trackers will save lives. It is one very necessary part to a significant problem.
38
Domestic violence is a crime and a scourge, so it pains me to point out that the author is making an unsupported argument about how to deal with DV.
The author asserts in para. 2 that “Repeat offenders are less likely to kill if they are regularly monitored by law enforcement.“
Ms. Valencia appears to base this opinion on a single study from 2012 (also referenced in para. 6) that in fact does not make or support this assertion. The study actually deals with domestic violence broadly defined rather than homicides. Indeed, the 245-page study doesn’t even list “murder” or “homicide” as categories of crimes included in the study.
Also, the study authors include several paragraphs explaining the limitations of the study, which further undermine Ms. Valencia’s sweeping conclusion that greater surveillance will save lives. Perhaps that may prove to be true, but this article and the referenced study do not support that conclusion.
Domestic violence, up to and including murder, surely seems worthy of further research if the main and apparently only study the author can draw upon dates back to 2012 and doesn’t even address surveillance as related to DV homicides
3
Nope.
If you had bothered to read the rest of the piece then you would see that the success rates of trackers in states where they used them shows intimate partner homicide can be greatly reduced with the use of GPS trackers.
As an attorney that represents abuse victims these trackers could save their lives.
There is always someone who tries to come on here and discount taking further action on a serious problem and claims there is not enough “proof”....so we should just sit around and let more victims die?
This piece outlines very well the need to do more to save lives and to do it NOW.
75
@Mon Ray Your comment shows a gross lack of reading comprehension.
1. The piece DOES address surveillance as it relates to DV homicides--the reduction in dv murders in CT when they started to use GPS trackers--guess you missed that one.
2. As a researcher the fact that any study says there are limitations to it is literally something mentioned in almost every study.
3. We cannot continue to ignore these staggering rates of homicide and this piece is an excellent argument for expanding protections to include repeat offenders wearing trackers.
58
@Mon Ray
A GPS tracker saved my life when my ex was headed to my job to try to kill me.
The piece mentioned multiple sources and that the success rate for GPS trackers in CT reduced intimate partner homicide--not sure how you missed that significant part of the piece. Reading comprehension. It matters.
38
This a well-written article on some of things that can be done right now to mitigate the often lethal results of ignoring DV. This is a first step towards building a safe environment for victims of DV and lays the foundation for communities to change their attitudes about DV--both the perpetrators and the victims. Much more will still need to be done, but there has to be a start. Not being able to do everything to fix this seemingly intractable problem is no excuse for not doing everything you can.
17
Thank you for this enlightening article. Now that we know how significant numbers of domestic abuse survivors can survive, the removal of weapons and the monitoring need to be consistently implemented nationwide.
Any kind of domestic violence record should disqualify someone from serving in law enforcement.
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The efficacy of this approach - especially as reported in Connecticut - is very convincing.
Using the tracking devices is "cheaper" than : deaths; leaving children without a parent; foster care costs; protracted court processes; imprisoning violators, and sending police out to investigate after an assault or murder has occurred.
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@cheryl I'd contribute to a GoFundMe that targeted this need! I doubt I'd be alone!
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As a long-time worker with survivors (and some who ultimately did not survive) of domestic violence, my mantra was that if we, as a culture, valued women and children, we would take DV seriously. As an Early Childhood Mental Health clinician, my mantra was that if we took DV seriously, there would be far fewer children who needed our services.
It's interesting that there are so few comments and recommendations for this well written piece. Could it be that we have so little interest in DV that few people even read this, or bothered to comment?
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I agree—domestic violence is ignored and never taken seriously. The piece just came out this am though so many ppl may not have had a moment to read it yet.
It’s an incredibly well written piece and I plan to share it at my staff meeting today with my whole team of attorneys.
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@Toni
This gist of the article is regarding tracking these violent offenders, not strategies to leave a violent relationship or how to help or
3
@Toni You make an excellent point. There is the business of domestic violence wherein far too many tax subsidized people make their living in the social service support industry, yet we still have far too many dead women. More victims than all the mass shootings and mid-east wars since 9/11, combined. Would GPS have saved little Zoey Pereira whose daddy burned her alive? Her mother tried to seek help and support, but she was ignored and marginalized in favor of a robust and costly system that only led to her daughter's brutal and unnecessary murder.
After a lifetime of experience, here's my best advice: When a man, especially a cop or someone among the rich, powerful and connected, says you will never escape a "relationship" alive, Believe Him. Memorialize your story. Pictures, video, notarized affidavit attesting to the totality of your trauma. Because when he kills you, breaks your children in mind, body and spirit, then at least there will be a record not manipulated by conflicted prosecutors, or social service network who works in concert with equally conflicted police. If the police can kill innocents, to zero justice and meaningful accountability, what justice is there for any victim? Until we have more empathy, compassion, and appropriate representation in all pillars of society to pass zero tolerance laws and change the very definition of domestic violence, victims of this terroristic violence are without basic tools no GPS tracking device can overcome.
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The anecdote about the case from Arkansas, contrasted with the author's kudos to the way that Connecticut protects victims, made one thing jump to the fore of my mind: taxes, and what citizens are willing to buy in to (and pay in to) for the greater good. Unfortunately, the extreme fiscal conservatism of many red states dissuades progressive social policies that save lives. We are the authors of our community's destiny.
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@mapsarecool Yet many of us would gladly contribute to a GoFundMe to begin a sustainable Fund for this purpose!
I'm proud of my State, and point out that it often gets singled out as a "High Tax" State, because it does do many important, human things!
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Absoulutely, domestic abusers need to be tracked. As a former leo, that investigated domestic violence cases I tell you that abusers feign remorse then always eventually repeat the cycle of violence.
The victims are not to blame, they are caught up in a whirlwind of emotional attachment to the perpetrator, concern for their children, financial dependence and a perception that they are partly to blame.
Women need to be protected from abusers, period, whatever it takes.
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@A P
You have nailed the reason women stay. They are also caught up in shame and embarrassment that the person they love the most is abusing them. They don't like the abuse but rather enable their abuser to mistreat them with fervent belief the abuser will change. They think they are the only one who truly understands them.
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@SHOOTMENOW
Abused women need lawyers to make sure the guy goes to prison etc. But women who are dependent on the abuser for money are stuck with reporting it to the police and hoping they will be responsive. That's why we have to establish places which women can go to not only for physical safety but also with legal representation.
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@Mimi
I agree. When word of my plotting to escape my violent situation came to the attention of a police detective she called me and threatened me that if I left the state (NM) that they could arrest me for kidnapping my own son. When I would call the police they would not help me and was never taken seriously. There was not much of a network to help me at all. I was advised (at the battered women's shelter) to rely on my religion to help- right! I left anyway as fast as I could as soon as he left for work one day. Went to the airport bought a ticket and flew away. I was scared the whole time until the plane actually left the ground. We also need the shelters to help the male children and the females to not date violent men to break the generational patterns. Many of the shelters are not helping the teens as they are in perpetual survival mode.
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Indeed, domestic violence is an ongoing terrible stain on society's wellbeing, and family's stability, mostly by the relentless abuse of power of insecure and possibly repressed men...seeking a victim to blame for their own 'macho' upbringing. The remedial mechanisms you outlined may help but fall way short from what ails us in the long run: the need to develop a loving, or at least respectful relationship of boys and girls since infancy; led by example. How could a child become a caring adult if his father was abusive, especially when alcohol or other drugs are involved, and accepted as 'normal'?
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Yes, it’s an issue that requires many layers of action and dialogue. BUT this piece is specifically about reducing intimate partner homicide once the offender is a known risk—not about how we solve the whole problem—it’s just about one part of it.
And as someone who has worked with domestic violence survivors, A GPS tracker would have been a life saver. Any and all efforts to curb abuse should be implemented.
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What a great article! If Connecticut can do it, so can your state!
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@Portola
Proud of my State.
When people point out "HighStateTaxes CT" -
I point out the programs that we gladly support!
4
Just last week, another NJ cop killed a woman. It was a late night slaughtering, during that quiet time of night when children should be dreaming in peace.
Coaxed to the door to receive a pair of children's eye glasses, this saint who lived in the service of children and her community didn't stand a chance against her law enforcement trained and coddled murderer, who now comfortably sits in a mental hospital instead of a jail where he belongs. Just what message does NJ send when it doesn't hold cop murderers accountable?
Many victims of domestic violence are not able to report their abuse, especially when the perpetrator is a member of law enforcement, public safety, government or the political elite. Reporting abuse isn't just life threatening, it can starve children of social and economic stability. Christie Formisano would not have been saved by a GPS tracking device, but she might have been saved had her murderous cop husband been under the care and supervision of department leadership who should have known he required mental health support and firearm removal. Why bother with Attorney General investigations and guidelines if municipal police departments can ignore them? Just like Philip Seidle, another NJ cop who got away with premediated murder long threatened and yet he too was still armed and protected by his supervisors who convinced him not to retire despite known protracted issues well memorialized in a still Police/Court Buried 600+ page personnel record.
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These cases are horrific and I agree that oftentimes when offenders work in law enforcement they are able to evade any punishment or even be flagged by superiors as a risk.
But there are still MANY who could be saved with a GPS tracker being placed on their abuser—we shouldn’t dismiss it because it’s not going to work in every case. We should take all forms of action to protect victims.
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@Underhiseye
Thank you and you make a good point. I am reminded of the women who were trying escape from law enforcement abusers when I was part of a battered women's group 19 years ago. Depressing how this is still happening.
As aside last year when I was traveling through Gold Country I saw Blue Lives Matter signs to counter, I guess, the Black Lives Matter movement. I agree that all lives matter; however a big difference is that when a cop is killed you can be sure the killer will be prosecuted
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@Martin it would not have saved little Zoey Pereira either. Her daddy burned her alive and that slaughtering was preventable too. We need to protect souls before they can be callously dismissed and marginalized by Courts, law enforcement and their state sanctioned murderers.
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