Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Highlighting electronic monitoring initiatives

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office is highlighting its partnership with North Carolina’s Domestic Violence Electronic Monitoring Program.

This program is managed by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Information Network (CJIN) and provides oversight for defendants on pre-trial release in domestic violence cases.

While the use of monitoring equipment is court-ordered for the defendants, victims have the choice to participate in the program. If they opt in, they will receive a device that alerts them when the defendant is within a specific proximity.

Amy Michalik, the director of the call center, shares exactly how they monitor everything: “The defendant, the only thing they can’t do is they can’t go to the exclusion zone, which is usually where the victim is—maybe his or her work or school—so we will get notified if he or she goes to that spot.”

Michalik explains how one would end up violating the program: “One is that their battery died, two is they cut it off, and three would be going to that exclusion zone.”

She references what happens if somebody is somewhere they should not be:

“We have called just to check on somebody, and you can hear him yelling in the background that he is already there. We knew he was there because the monitor told us, but we then get someone else on the line, and we call 9-1-1 to make sure she’s okay.”

The program is active in 20 counties statewide, and Onslow County is a participant.

Sheriff Chris Thomas believes in this technology: “It is a great device for at-risk individuals of domestic violence that costs the taxpayers here—nothing.”

According to the CJIN, since the implementation of this program, there has not been a homicide committed against a program participant while being monitored.