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Abstract: 

Virtually every state now recognizes domestic violence as a serious crime and has enacted laws aimed at preventing intimate partner abuse, protecting victims, and punishing perpetrators. Protective measures include court-imposed restraining orders and laws prohibiting abusers from possessing firearms. Some or all of these measures can be written into the conditions of probation and parole when abusers are released back into the community. But adding statutes that address the problem of domestic violence is just a beginning. Enforcement is critical, especially with orders of protection. Tragically, there are many cases where a court order alone didn’t deter an aggressor from further harming his victim. This article describes the “Empower” victim notification smartphone app developed by Track Group, which creates a mobile geo-zone around the protected victim and works in conjunction with an electronic monitoring device, ReliAlert, to coordinate and monitor the whereabouts of victim and offender. The technology is now deployed in a number of jurisdictions; this article includes brief case studies and the feedback of victims who have used the technology.

Keywords: Empower Smartphone App; Enforcing Orders of Protection; Domestic Violence

Affiliations:  1: Track Group.