Thursday, 21 April 2011

GPS tracking in domestic violence cases

It’s a saying common in legal circles — an order of protection is a piece of paper that won’t stop a knife or a bullet.

Travis County Court Division 4 Judge Mike Denton of Austin, Texas, says he understands the reasoning behind that saying even if he doesn’t completely agree with it. Denton said an order of protection can be very effective if it is enforced. In most cases, people who are prohibited from coming in contact with someone by an order of protection will obey the order. In some cases, however, people just aren’t reasonable and that’s where heightened enforcement is important.

“I think the more we do to enforce it, the more effective it is,” he said. “It’s not a self-enforcing document.”

Denton was in Fayetteville last week as one of the presenters at the Best Practices for Domestic Violence and Child Custody continuing legal education (CLE) seminar put on by Legal Aid of Arkansas. Denton presides over a number family law cases and, as such, has seen his share of domestic abuse situations.

He was at the seminar to talk, in part, about how to get communities involved in curbing domestic violence. One of the methods his court has used since about 2002 is global positioning satellite (GPS) tracking in those cases involving “a real threat” of bodily harm to one of the parties.

Denton said GPS tracking can be effective, but it does require the cooperation of a number of parties. A court might order GPS tracking, but the local prosecutor’s office, law enforcement officials and even the monitoring company have to be on the same page to make it an attractive way to curb domestic violence.

How does the technology work? Denton said he generally orders the use of GPS tracking to exclude people from certain areas. For example, an abusive husband going through a divorce might be ordered to stay away from his wife’s employment, school or home. If the person ordered to wear the GPS tracking device goes into one of those zones, the monitoring company is alerted and law enforcement officials can be dispatched to the scene immediately.

Again, that kind of coordinated effort takes the cooperation of a number of parties. When that cooperation is present, Denton said GPS tracking can effectively curb domestic violence from occurring.

“It takes a team effort,” he said. “It’s not an easy, snap your fingers process.”

Denton pointed out that GPS tracking isn’t appropriate in every case — just the ones where danger is a real threat. He said the technology reaches past the domestic realm, too, pointing out that some criminal courts have used it effectively. For example, someone who has been convicted of sexual abuse of a minor might be excluded through GPS tracking from entering a school zone.

How does one get fitted with a GPS tracking device? Denton said a defendant might be ordered to wear one as a condition for being released from detention on bond or the court can simply order a defendant to wear one if the judge finds the alleged abuser poses a legitimate threat to the person seeking an order of protection.

Denton said the technology is relatively new, pointing out he’s been using if for around nine years but the use of GPS tracking was codified into Texas state law over the past couple of years.

The judge said he’s sold on the effectiveness of GPS tracking, pointing out he’s in the process requesting more units from Travis County. Denton said GPS tracking costs about $300 to $350 a month and that cost is typically paid by the person who is tracked. However, in some cases the respondent doesn’t have the means to pay for tracking — that’s where the county or state should step in and pick up some of the costs for the service and equipment.

In Arkansas, Springdale City Attorney Jeff Harper said GPS tracking is seeing some use here in the Natural State. He said the technology is most commonly used in criminal cases, but there have been some instances where GPS tracking has been ordered in domestic abuse situations.

“It’s worked for us and it’s worked well,” he said of the technology.

Read orginal article here.

Tuesday, 19 April 2011

Remote digging machine sent to help trapped Idaho miner

A drone digging machine arrived on Sunday at a silver mine in Idaho where a lone worker has been trapped by a cave-in more than a mile underground with no outside contact since late Friday.

The miner, Larry Marek, 53, a 30-year veteran of the industry, was tapping a vein of silver in a mine owned by Hecla Mining Company in northern Idaho when a section of tunnel collapsed for unknown reasons, according to the company.

A second miner he was working with escaped without injury, but rescuers have had no contact with Marek since the accident on Friday evening. His condition was unknown.

Commercial operations at the Lucky Friday Mine were immediately suspended, and the mine was in "full rescue operation," company officials said.

"We are in communications with the family and have been keeping them up to date," Melanie Hennessey, a Helca executive, said in a statement on Sunday. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends."

As of Sunday morning, 10-person rescue teams working around the clock had cleared about 25 feet of an estimated 75-foot blockage in a collapsed corridor separating crews from the trapped miner, securing the ground as they advanced.

The company flew in a special excavation machine known as a mucker that can be operated by remote control. The drone digger arrived on Sunday morning and had to be disassembled to be taken a mile down into the mine and put back together.

Mine officials said the mucker would accelerate the pace of digging since the time-consuming practice of securing the tunnel roof as digging proceeded was unnecessary for a drone.

Hennessey, Helca's vice president for investor relations, said they company was focused entirely on the rescue and has not yet "focused on why and how this occurred."

The accident comes as Hecla is seeking to expand the depth of the Lucky Friday to 8,000 feet. It occurred the same day the U.S. Department of Labor released a report faulting federal mining inspectors who oversee safety for failing in some instances last year to "properly evaluate the gravity and negligence in certain citations."

Hecla employs 275 workers and 100 contractors at Lucky Friday, a hard-rock mine in an historic silver-mining district east of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, near the Idaho-Montana border.

The operation uses a mining method known as cut-and-fill, where cuts into silver-bearing ore are back-filled with waste rock before a new section of the vein is tapped. The ore is hauled to the surface, where it is milled into a concentrate shipped to British Columbia for smelting.

The mine, which has been in production for nearly 70 years, yielded 3.4 million ounces of silver in 2009.

Lucky Friday is one of three active mines in the United States owned by Hecla, which is based in Coeur d'Alene.

Tuesday, 12 April 2011

Free Telehealth Course for all Housing Workers and Tenants

Caring for the growing elderly population means there is an urgent need to lay the foundations for the rapid and widespread adoption of telecare solutions across the UK but according to Housing e-Academy, the housing sector has been slow to switch on to the range of telecare available and the huge benefits it could bring to their residents.
Why is Telecare so Important?

Chloe Weatherhead Head of Housing e-Academy said: “Telecare supports independent living by providing health care services from a distance and our sister organisation Telesolutions e-Academy has found that the social housing sector is being particularly slow at switching on to the benefits.

“Budgets are being squeezed at every level and so the timing of the ‘telecare revolution’ could not be better as the financial and resource benefits are enormous.”

By 2025, the number of people over 85 will have increased by 70% to 1.9 million, and over the next 50 years the number of over 65's looks set to rise from 9.3 million to 16.8 million. With this staggering increase in the ageing population the demand for better technology has never been greater.

A report from the Centre for Social Justice on issues impacting on older people said:

‘The provision of assistive equipment can be hugely beneficial on maintaining or improving an older person’s quality of life.  Yet, as an Audit Commission report recently revealed, low importance is attached to such equipment.  This is in spite of mass research finding it provides good outcomes and reduced costs.’

“The housing and care sectors are facing what could be a major crisis which will have a hugely detrimental impact on the elderly,” adds Chloe.
Promoting Awareness of Telesolutions

“We are so concerned about this potential demographic time bomb that Housing e-Academy has teamed up with its business partner Telesolutions e-Academy to offer a new FREE course to social housing providers and tenants which who want to find out more about the range of products and services available to help people remain in their homes.

“Many people working in care and support may not be aware of how widely telecare can be used. It’s not just a tool for the elderly - it can be used to assist anyone with a healthcare issue and so also has implications for general needs tenants with vulnerable family members.”
Free Online Course for all Social Housing Providers and Tenants

To access the FREE course ‘An Introduction to Telehealth and Telecare’ click on the link and follow the on screen instructions. When registering for the course please choose ‘social housing provider’ from the list of organisations. The promotional code to entitle you to the free course is Housing2011.

Friday, 8 April 2011

Showcase telecare ‘Smart Home’ goes on display in Slough

Slough Borough Council has teamed up with leading telecare expert Cirrus to show how its latest technology can be installed in the home.

 The Cirrus ‘Smart Home’ showcases emerging technology designed to help vulnerable and elderly people live independently. The flat was opened officially by Councillor Roger Davis and Peter Webster, Slough Borough Council CCTV and Careline Centre Manager, on Thursday 24 March, giving local residents their first chance to get ‘hands on’ with the technology.

Cirrus is working with a range of partners including Tynetec, CareTech, SafeLinQ and CentriHealth, to provide cutting edge telehealth and telecare aids to the people of Slough. On display are telecare devices designed to protect individuals such as personal alarms, fall detectors and mobile tracking devices like the SmartLinQ. The latter uses GPS to track the persons location to the nearest five metres, providing reassurance to people with mental health issues when they are away from home. The flat will be fitted with smoke and CO detectors, bed sensors, an electronic ‘corkboard’ memory prompt to help dementia sufferers and equipment which can monitor long term conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes and hypertension.

The project came to fruition after Slough Borough Council asked Cirrus to help it show residents what devices were on the market and how these could be used to manage health problems in their homes.

The flat, which has involved advisors from the Department of Health, will also give the council’s occupational therapy team a ‘live’ training environment for new staff and residents.

Peter Webster said, “Cirrus has provided us with the perfect showcase for the latest security and telecare equipment that can be installed in people’s homes. We want to focus on the benefits of these services rather than the technology itself.”

 Andy Davey, head of Cirrus, added: “This Smart Home is the best way to show residents and their families the different devices that can help people live in their own homes while receiving the help they need. As new technologies come to market they will be introduced to the Smart Home.”

The flat will remain open for at least six months.

ExtraCare Charitable Trust names Cirrus as an official contractor

The ExtraCare Charitable Trust has named leading independent telecare and security systems provider Cirrus as their official contractor for the provision of life safety and security systems.

Cirrus Communications Systems Ltd has worked with ExtraCare at five of their prestigious villages and is currently involved on the latest development at Shenley Wood, Milton Keynes, which opens in Spring 2012.

The agreement is expected to reduce the complexity of the tender and contracting process normally associated with design and build projects. It will ensure that the systems installed meet ExtraCare’s expectations for functionality, flexibility and ease of use.  In addition, it will enable more accurate forecasting of costs for future developments.  Contractors will also benefit from being provided with a clearly defined package of systems managed by an experienced team.

Andy Davey, Managing Director of Cirrus said “Being involved in the planning process from the start means Cirrus can work with all the construction partners and ensure safety and security systems are aligned to the clients vision.”

Kevin Hudson of the ExtraCare Charitable Trust said “Cirrus have made a considerable investment to fully understand the needs of our Operations Team and have structured their business to ensure that our requirements are met from initial design, through to testing and commissioning. Their post-contract support is focused on our reliance on these critical systems and has given us the confidence to appoint them as a named contractor.”

Newdigate pensioner on charity trail

A PLUCKY pensioner has signed up to hike along a famous South American landmark.

Sandy Atkinson, 62, will travel to Peru in May to hike around the Inca Trail in aid of the Marie Curie Hospice in Hampstead.

Mrs Atkinson, who lives in Partridge Lane, Newdigate, said: "I'm really looking forward to hiking the Inca Trail and just hope I'm up to the challenge, which involves five days of hiking at altitudes of over 4,000m and temperatures of minus 5C (23F) at night.

"I'll be hiking for up to nine hours a day and then sleeping in a tent with no hot baths or showers to ease the aching limbs. It's not a walk in the park by any means."

Mrs Atkinson took part in a charity bike ride around Cuba around five years ago and it was there her passion for challenges emerged.

She said: "It was one of the best things I have ever done so I decided I'd do another challenge before I disintegrate."

In preparation for the challenge, she has been hiking and cycling up Box Hill and Leith Hill five times a week.

Mrs Atkinson, who works for Mole Valley Telecare Services, said she chose to support Marie Curie because of her job.

She added: "I answer emergency calls for elderly or vulnerable people on their lifelines and so have first-hand experience of the impact cancer has on people and their families.

"And being a pensioner myself I felt it was time I did something to help this great charity."

Mrs Atkinson has to raise a minimum of £3,000 and is preparing to sell her beloved trike, which is based on a classic Triumph Bonneville. She has raised £1,450 so far.

Visit www.justgiving.com/sandy-atkinsonpensionerinperuformariecurie to sponsor her.

Tuesday, 5 April 2011

Leading the way on fire safety

EAST Renfrewshire Council has teamed up with the fire service to install smoke alarms in the homes of vulnerable people.

The link-up, which also involves NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, is thought to be a Scottish first.

East Renfrewshire’s Community Health Care Partnership (CHCP) and Strathclyde Fire and Rescue are promoting the new scheme, which will mean all local people who use telecare – remote electronic care services to help them live independently at home – will also get smoke detectors fitted in their homes.

The new partnership will jointly fund and install the alarms, which will be linked to East Renfrewshire Council’s 24-hour community safety monitoring centre, Safety Net. Trained operators at the centre aim to get a response sent to a property affected by fire within minutes.

The family of a Neilston man who survived a house fire praised the new initiative.

June McIntosh and her father, Robert Mackie, who is in his 80s and hearing impaired, are one of the first families in East Renfrewshire to benefit from the programme.

Telecare equipment in Mr Mackie’s home now includes a vibrating pillow that will trigger an alert if a fire starts while he is asleep.

Ms McIntosh said: “My father didn’t have a smoke alarm because he wouldn’t have heard it going off.

“The installation of telecare and this new smoke detector have made such a difference to us. After the fire my brother and I would drive to his home in the middle of the night to check he was OK. We were living on our nerves. It’s a total relief.”

Friday, 1 April 2011

Norfolk Police recommend Vehicle Tracking Solutions

Thieves are targeting farmers and owners of large agricultural and plant machinery, such as tractors and quad bikes, Norfolk police said. Farmers in Norfolk report offences ranging from machinery theft to livestock rustling and arson at least once a day. Launching Operation Randall, the police are now asking farmers to install Vehicle Tracking, to deter this theft.

About 75 such crimes have been reported since the beginning of the year. The thieves have stolen tractors, generators, quad bikes and ride-on lawn mowers, mainly in Breckland and South Norfolk. Owners were being advised to tag or track their equipment and keep an up-to-date record of machinery. In Suffolk 505 offences were reported last year and in Cambridgeshire the figure stood at 421.

Police have begun an attempt to reduce these types of thefts called Operation Randall. Det Supt Nick Dean said: “The numbers of high value thefts may on the face of it appear low. However, the impact that these types of offences have is considerable, ranging from loss of earnings to losing the ability to actually farm the land properly”.

The Randall team has already carried out a number of high profile operations. These including working with agencies like Revenue and Customs, the Environment Agency and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency to check more than 2,400 vehicles for suspicious activity near Downham Market and Terrington using number plate recognition.