Gov. Bill Lee formally signed a new bill requiring GPS monitoring of some domestic abuse offenders into law on Tuesday.
In honor of mother and daughter Debbie Sisco and Marie Varsos, the measure is known as the Debbie and Marie Domestic Violence Protection Act. In April 2021, Varsos’s estranged husband shot and killed both of them.
Domestic shelters in Nashville stated they are in favor of the new law because it provides abuse victims with an extra degree of protection that is necessary.
“This bill can absolutely save lives. This law will save lives,” Michelle Mowery Johnson, senior director of communications for Nashville’s YWCA shelter stated. “An abuser, if they are in a close radius to the victim, that victim will be notified through an app on her phone.”
While they are free on bond, Mowery Johnson believes that this technology is an excellent “deterrent” for victims of domestic abuse.
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The “Family Safety Center” in Nashville praised the law as “excellent” and stated that it will “only be helpful.” The center is concerned about money, though; what happens if the criminal doesn’t pay for the GPS device? From where will the funds originate?
The local community could have to pay for it, but the YWCA felt it would be worthwhile.
“If victims’ lives can be saved, it’s worth that cost,” Mowery Johnson stated. “Tennessee consistently ranks in the top 10 worst states for men killing women. In fact, we are seventh overall in the nation, and we’re the 16th largest state in the country. We need more investment; we need more education; we need our community to take this crisis seriously, and it is a crisis.”
Mowery Johnson urged folks to text 615-983-5170 or call the YWCA’s 24-Hour Crisis & Support Helpline at 1-800-334-4628 if they or a loved one needs refuge or support.
Tennessee is currently one of 14 states that use GPS tracking for domestic abuse offenders, according to research conducted by the Battered Women’s Justice Project in Minnesota.
On July 1, the bill will go into force.
