Metropolitan Police to reduce enforcement of tag breaches

Summarised from 5 outlets · Updated 25 Oct, 17:15 · Archive

The Metropolitan Police is piloting reduced enforcement of minor electronic tag breaches lasting less than an hour, prioritising high-risk offenders.

The Metropolitan Police has launched a pilot scheme to reduce enforcement of minor electronic tag breaches. Under the new approach, officers will not routinely investigate breaches of curfew or tag battery conditions lasting less than an hour unless the offender is considered high-risk or there is evidence of crime. The scheme, which runs until spring, applies to those on court bail.

The force continues to respond to more than 100 tag breaches daily. Many are low-level infractions, such as offenders stepping outside briefly for a cigarette or returning home a few minutes late, which carry no consequences in the court system. A Met spokesperson said: "Where offenders have briefly stepped outside for a cigarette, or police are notified 19 hours later that they were 15 minutes late returning home, tying up several officers for hours is not the best use of resources."

Electronic tags can enforce curfews, monitor movements around the clock and ensure offenders stay away from victims or designated exclusion zones. Those released on licence must also comply with conditions such as attending probation appointments. Breaches can result in a return to prison.

The pilot follows the Government's early release scheme, which has released thousands of offenders early and placed them on licence with electronic monitoring conditions. This has placed significant strain on police resources. Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley warned that "95%-plus of the tagging breaches that we arrest are simply being bailed back into the community on the same condition, so there is zero sanction".

High-risk offenders, including domestic abusers, will remain a priority for enforcement. The Met said: "To best protect the public, those pressures cannot always fall on policing and certainly not without prioritisation. Where there is a risk to the public, particularly if someone is breaching conditions designed to protect a victim, we will absolutely respond." A sergeant from a south London unit told Sky News bluntly: "There are not enough cops" to cope with the volume created by the early release programme.

The force is also apprehending two to three early release prisoners each week who are being sent back to jail for committing further offences. Breach notifications will still be reviewed under the new scheme, but action will only be taken where risk or safeguarding concerns exist. The Met said enforcement of tag breaches is expected to reduce by more than 15 per cent under the pilot.

How it is being reported

• Metropolitan Police to reduce enforcement of tag breachesBritain’s largest police force responds to more than 100 tagging breaches a day and many are low-level with no consequences in the court system.Evening Standard · 25 Oct, 16:49
• Met Police won't enforce breaches of some tag conditions as it struggles to cope with early release schemeThe Metropolitan Police is running a pilot scheme under which officers would ignore when some offenders breach their probationary conditions unless it is deemed a risk to the public.Daily Mail · 25 Oct, 16:39
• Metropolitan Police allowing tagged criminals who breach conditions to roam freeLondon's largest police force has launched a pilot programme that will see officers stand down from pursuing tag breaches lasting less than an hour, unless the individual concerned is deemed a specific danger to the public. The Metropolitan Police scheme, which is set to run until the spring, applies to minor curfew violations and tag battery issues alike. Breach notifications will still be reviewed, but will only lead to a possible arrest where risk or safeguarding concerns exist. The move comes amid mounting strain on resources tied to the Government's early release programme, which has…GB News · 25 Oct, 16:25
• Police will allow offenders to breach tag conditions without arrestThe move means offenders who might previously have faced arrest over breaches of their court-imposed conditions could avoid immediate police action.Daily Express · 25 Oct, 16:03
• Police to trial ignoring some minor breaches of tag conditions, Sky News understandsThe Metropolitan Police is reducing enforcement of offenders who breach their tag conditions amid resourcing pressures and following early prisoner release, Sky News understands.Sky News · 24 Oct, 20:21

In this story: Metropolitan Police · Sir Mark Rowley · Labour

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