For victims of crime, the pretrial period can be the most frightening phase of the justice process. An arrest does not automatically create safety. Survivors still have to go to work, take children to school, and live their lives while a case moves through court. When a judge orders conditions like no contact or “stay-away” requirements, victims deserve more than a promise on paper—they deserve a system that can help enforce those protections quickly and consistently.

That is why the St. Louis County Police Association supports restoring funding for Missouri’s statewide pretrial smartphone electronic monitoring program.

In St. Louis County alone, more than 5,000 people are actively supervised through this program. That scale matters because it reflects how often courts rely on structured supervision to reduce
risk while cases are pending. It also means the program has a direct, daily impact on victim safety.

The most important benefit is protection. In cases involving domestic violence, stalking, harassment, and witness intimidation, distance is often the difference between stability and fear. Pretrial monitoring can support exclusion zones—clear boundaries around protected locations such as a home, workplace, or school. When those boundaries are violated, supervision can flag the behavior quickly so authorities can respond and the court can reassess conditions before a violation becomes a new crime.

This program also helps prevent escalation. Officers frequently encounter situations where a defendant tests limits, ignores court directives, and grows more confident with every consequence-free violation. Structured monitoring creates visibility— to identify and document missed check-ins, repeated noncompliance, and other warning signs that allow earlier intervention. Earlier intervention is how tragedies are avoided, and it reduces the likelihood officers are forced into high-risk responses after a situation has already deteriorated.

The program also improves accountability to the court. Reminders and reporting reduce missed court dates, which otherwise trigger warrants, delays, and additional stress for victims and witnesses who must return again and again. Keeping cases on track is part of protecting victims, too.

Finally, the program delivers measurable taxpayer value while keeping safety front and center. In St. Louis County supervisions alone, pretrial monitoring is estimated to save approximately $22 million in state funds and $18 million in county funds—savings driven by reduced detention costs and fewer downstream burdens on local systems.

Removing structured supervision does not remove risk—it pushes it back onto victims and onto officers responding after harm occurs. Missouri should keep a proven program that prioritizes victim protection, strengthens enforcement of court orders, and helps prevent the next preventable tragedy.