Metropolitan Police, USA News (London): London’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 seen thousands of offenders freed from prison early and placed on licence conditions that include electronic monitoring. Sir Mark Rowley, the Met Commissioner, has publicly voiced his concern about the burden the early release scheme is placing on his force, saying he is “worried” about its impact. His officers are dealing with “over 100 tag breaches a day,” he has stated. The force is also apprehending two to three early release prisoners each week who are being sent back to jail for committing further offences.
A sergeant from a south London unit tasked with tracking wanted offenders who violate licence or tag conditions told Sky News bluntly: “There are not enough cops” to cope with the volume created by releasing thousands of prisoners early. System delays compound the problem, with authorities sometimes not receiving breach alerts for hours, during which time further crimes can be committed.
The pilot is intended to free up capacity so that officers can concentrate on pursuing higher-risk enforcement cases and persistent offenders. The Met expects the change to cut the number of breaches demanding a police response by more than 15 per cent. Those considered most dangerous — including perpetrators of domestic abuse — will continue to be treated as a priority.
According to the Government, the scheme covers individuals who have been bailed by the courts, whether convicted offenders or those still awaiting trial. Those released early from prison under the separate early release programme are supervised by the probation service, which alerts police to any breaches. The Met has stressed that its revised approach focuses on evaluating the risk posed by each breach, rather than categorising the type of offender involved.
The Government has defended the early release programme, saying it inherited a prison system “on the brink of collapse” and that inaction would have compelled police “to halt arrests, putting communities at untold risk”. A spokesperson insisted: “We will never jeopardise public safety. To manage offenders out on licence, we are rolling out the toughest-ever controls, including world-first restriction zones, the largest expansion of electronic tagging, and giving victims a say in licence conditions.” Ministers also pointed to police funding rising to £18.5bn and record investment in the probation service.
The Met justified the shift by citing cases where enforcement yields little practical benefit. “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,” a force spokesperson said.
