Met police to prioritise tag breaches posing a public risk

The Metropolitan Police is piloting a policy to take action on fewer breaches of tagging conditions, amid pressure from the early release of prisoners. Officers are still expected to review breach alerts, but the pilot prioritises cases where someone is considered a risk to the public, raising questions about how conditions are monitored and enforced.

The force is expected to reduce enforcement of tag breaches by more than 15 per cent and says officers are dealing with over 100 breaches a day. More than 4,500 prisoners are expected to qualify for early release over ten months, with some eligible after serving half their sentence rather than two-thirds. The article also reports that around 100 released prisoners were given tents after probation services struggled to find accommodation.