Gwent Police to trial putting GPS tags on burglars and thieves freed from jail
Gwent Police has become the first force in Wales to trial a new pilot to combat prolific burglars and repeat offenders by fitting them with GPS trackers once they are freed from jail.
Burglars, thieves and robbers will be fitted with GPS tags to track their movements when they are freed from jail in a bid to cut down on reoffending.
The trackers will monitor the criminals 24 hours a day for up to a year in a pilot project the Ministry of Justice has described as a "world first".
The Ministry of Justice says more than half of those convicted of theft and burglary offend again within a year and almost 80% of cases result in no suspect being identified.
The move is intended to provide police with an "extra source of intelligence" to help catch persistent offenders and, it is hoped, to also act as a deterrent.
The scheme, piloted across six police force areas including Gwent, Avon and Somerset, Cheshire, Gloucestershire, Humberside and the West Midlands, will launch on 12 April.
It's estimated 250 offenders will be tagged nationally in the first six months.
New laws are expected to be introduced to impose the measures, with the rules applying to on burglars, robbers and thieves, who have served a prison sentence of a year or more.
Prison and probation staff will be able to check the location history of offenders against details of crimes provided by police officers so they can be ruled out as suspects or investigated further.
Deputy Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, Gwent Police said: "The impact of being burgled or robbed stretches further than the initial crime, it comes with emotional upset and pain.
"It is a fact that 51% of those convicted of theft, including burglary, and 29% of those convicted of robbery reoffend within a year of their release. This pilot will act as a deterrent to those people who use this type of crime as a way of life, and will also allow officers to take swift action.
"We are committed to protecting and reassuring all our communities, by working with Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service we can reduce crime and stop criminals benefiting from crime."
Kit Malthouse MP, Minister for Crime and Policing said: "Being burgled or robbed is devastating and I understand how frustrating it is when the perpetrators can’t be caught, both for the public and the police.
"Tagging these prolific offenders so we know where they are 24 hours a day should be powerful persuasion to change their ways and will help police find and charge them if they don’t. It’s another tool helping probation staff to cut crime and keep the public safe."