Sen. Carpenter Pushing for Repeat Domestic Violence Prevention Act

Violent domestic abusers could be deterred from repeating if a bill allowing the court to have a person who violates a restraining order be placed under GPS monitoring is passed by the State Assembly and signed by Gov. Scott Walker.

It’s a bill that Senator Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) says an overwhelming majority of his constituents, which include Greenfield residents, are in favor of.

“In a survey that I sent to my constituents, 96 percent of respondents stated that the use of these high-tech tools is appropriate to help law enforcement and restore safety and peace of mind to victims of domestic abuse,” Carpenter, the co-author of the bill, said in a statement.

The bill, passed by the senate Tuesday, would give a victim or a district attorney to petition the court to have the offender be placed under GPS monitoring. Local police and the victim would immediately be notified if an offender enters a restricted area, such as an area surrounding the victim’s house or place of work, as defined by each individual restraining order.

“A smart use of this technology can help assist law enforcement in protecting victims of domestic violence and ensuring that restraining orders are obeyed,” Carpenter said. “A domestic abuse perpetrator might think twice about violating a restraining order when doing so will be electronically monitored, and automatically reported to law enforcement and the victim.”

The release said the cost of the monitoring will be covered by a $200 fee placed by the court on all offenders who violate restraining orders.