Tracking for domestic violence threats?

Joelle Daly at Stuff reports:

Corrections Minister Anne Tolley wants to keep 24-hour tabs on serious domestic violence offenders – the same way high-risk and sex offenders are tracked.

The move comes after Christchurch man Nikki Roper was found guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Alexsis Tovizi, only days after he was released from jail for a previous assault on the 21-year-old mother.

The killing, in December 2010, happened despite a protection order she had in place.

Protection orders are sadly of little benefit when the offender breaches them. It takes too long for a breach to lead to action.

Twenty-four hour GPS monitoring, announced last June, means Corrections are alerted to intervene if a tracked offender strays into a designated exclusion zone.

It must be imposed by the Parole Board or sentencing judge, and currently applies only to high-risk and child sex offenders.

However, in light of the Alexsis Tovizi case, Tolley said she had instructed officials to investigate how this could be extended under current legislation to cover domestic violence offenders.

“We want to do everything that we can to prevent and deter any would-be perpetrators.

“If this can stop one potential victim from being harmed, then it will be worth it.”

This could be a life saver. If the offender’s enters an area they have been banned from entering, then Police could be immediately notified and get there in time to save a life.

I imagine it would be used only when someone has already been convicted of threats and/or violence against someone and there is a significant risk of them causing further harm.