Growing Horizons Of Electronic Monitoring

Monitoring of human and animal behaviour, activities or other changing information for the purpose of influence, management, direction or protection has been in practice since long.

This includes observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment or interception of electronically transmitted information.

However, what makes the present situation unique is the sheer scale of monitoring; the extent to which the overseer is unobtrusive and capabilities of the modern technology for storage, analysis and reporting of the gathered information.

Electronic monitoring provides structure, control and accountability of people. It can also provide an extra layer of supervision with the goal of enhancing public safety in the community. Electronic tagging, on the other hand, is a form of surveillance that uses an electronic device fitted to the person or animal.

In the last few decades, the scope of electronic monitoring has widened greatly in terms of devices and applications. It can now be used for employees at workplace, crime control, drug de-addiction, animals (on land, in air and in water), vegetation, environmental and climate change, social amenities (health, banking, traffic, sports, air quality, etc), adventurers and work seekers in remote and risky areas, etc. Electronic devices such as CCTV cameras, biometric registers, sensors, radio-frequency (RF) and global positioning system (GPS) bracelets, phones and e-mails are becoming integral tools of monitoring everywhere to improve efficiency.

Electronic monitoring devices

The technology behind electronic monitoring devices continues to evolve. While once these just used radio signals to detect whether someone was home, now many devices use GPS and cell tower signals to give precise locations. Monitors can detect blood-alcohol levels through a person’s sweat. However, the system has flaws. Devices can send false alerts. Sometimes, these send so many alerts that officers can’t carefully look into all of them.