Kane County targets restraining order violators

Violating an order of protection in Kane County now comes with added consequences, officials announced Monday.

In addition to being charged with a crime, offenders also face the possibility of being monitored around the clock via electronic ankle bracelets that track their whereabouts.

"I think it will save lives," Kane County State's Attorney John Barsanti said at a news conference in St. Charles. "It's 24-7. It's real-time GPS, every minute of the day."

The new program comes in response to a law designed to protect people who file restraining orders from those who defy them. The law, which took effect Jan. 1, was named after Cindy Bischof, an Arlington Heights woman gunned down by an ex-boyfriend last year after he violated an order of protection at least three times.

In Kane County, it works like this: Anyone who violates an order of protection is subject to an assessment to determine the risk of a future violation. If the court decides an offender is potentially violent, he or she can be ordered to wear an electronic monitoring anklet as a condition of bond.

The anklet allows authorities to see at any time where the offender is. Notifications go out to the police and victim if the offender enters an area considered a "restricted zone," such as the home or office of the victim. Violators can be charged with a misdemeanor and are required to go before a judge, said Assistant State's Attorney Lisa Acardi. "There are strict penalties in the law for people who violate GPS," she said.

The law took effect about four months ago, but officials said state legislators provided no funding and little direction on implementation.

In February, the county committed $100,000 to the program, which also is expected to partly fund itself through fines and fees.

"We are very pleased with the initial results. and also that we were able to get this done in a short period of time," Chief Judge F. Keith Brown said.

So far, officials said, three people have been admitted to the program, though only one has bonded out of jail. That person, whom officials wouldn't identify, was released Friday with the GPS device and back behind bars Sunday after he entered a prohibited area.

"He is in custody," Brown said. "So the system does work."