Zimmerman Tracked with GPS While out on Bond

GPS tracking devices have been used for several years by law enforcement professionals. In the high-profile case of George Zimmerman, his whereabouts while out on bond are being continuously monitored by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, though he has gone into hiding.

After Zimmerman was released on bond on Monday from a Florida jail, the ankle-bracelet GPS device pinpoints his location and will alert authorities if he drifts even a few feet away from where he is allowed, according to the Associated Press via Yahoo! News. Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. He must pay an $8-a-day fee to use the device, which is often used to track people charged in domestic violence cases.

Seminole County Sheriff’s officials are offering few details on how Zimmerman will be specifically monitored, other than to say the GPS device he is wearing has the same 24/7 capabilities it uses to track accused domestic violence offenders. Zimmerman may be residing outside of Florida for safety reasons, but the device is capable of monitoring anywhere in the U.S.

Computer software synced to the device enables “inclusionary zones” to establish where a person can go, AP reported. It also can report whether the user is being compliant with release conditions like curfews. Zimmerman has been asked to observe a curfew between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The monitoring program has been in use since 2003 in Seminole, according to the sheriff’s office. In 2009, using the devices saved $950,000 by keeping people out of jail, the office said.