London: The Metropolitan Police (Met Police) is scaling back enforcement of certain electronic tagging breaches under a pilot scheme aimed at easing pressure on police resources following the early release of prisoners.
Under the scheme, which is expected to run until spring, Met Police officers will not take action over breaches of police-imposed curfews or tag battery levels falling below one hour, unless the offender is considered a particular risk to the public. Officers must still review breach notifications, but cases will generally progress towards potential arrest only when risk or safeguarding concerns are identified.
High-risk offenders, including domestic abusers, will remain a priority. The initiative is expected to reduce the number of breaches requiring police intervention by more than 15 percent, allowing the Met Police to focus on serious offences and persistent offenders.
The move follows warnings from Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley about the demands placed on the force by the government’s early prisoner release programme. According to the Met Police, officers currently deal with more than 100 electronic tag breach notifications each day and arrest two or three prisoners released early each week for recall to prison following further offending.
Police officers remarked that staffing shortages have made it difficult to respond to every breach. Some alerts have legitimate explanations, such as offenders leaving their homes to attend hospital or briefly crossing the boundaries of their permitted areas.
Delays in the monitoring system can also mean authorities receive notifications hours after a breach, potentially allowing further offences to occur before action is taken.
The UK government stated that it inherited a prison system close to collapse and argued that early release was necessary to prevent more severe disruption to the justice system. A spokesperson highlighted that public safety remained a priority, highlighting plans to expand electronic tagging, introduce restriction zones and give victims a say in licence conditions.
The government also pointed to increased police funding, plans to recruit more neighbourhood officers and additional investment in the probation service. Early prisoner release has remained controversial under successive UK governments.
Current arrangements allow some serious offenders to be released after serving half their sentences, compared with two-thirds under previous rules. Those convicted of less serious offences may be released after serving a third of their sentence, subject to applicable eligibility rules and licence conditions.
The Met Police noted that it was working with partner agencies to identify appropriate consequences for breaches that have previously resulted in no court action. The force argued that spending hours responding to minor incidents, such as a brief absence from home or a short delay in returning, can divert officers from cases that pose a greater threat to public safety.
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