Blunkett launches “groundbreaking” satellite tracking pilot
David Blunkett has launched what he describes as a “groundbreaking” new pilot scheme to satellite track offenders.
Three areas, Manchester, Hampshire and the West Midlands, will all pilot the tracking of prolific and domestic violence offenders, with Manchester also tracking sexual offenders and Hampshire testing the system with young offenders.
Offenders will be tracked after their release from custody, or as part of a community “exclusion order” penalty which bans offenders from entering specific locations.
Information about the offenders’ movements will be relayed by satellite systems so that probation and police officers are able to monitor whereabouts and check the offenders are complying with movement restrictions imposed by the courts.
Revealing details of the pilot in Manchester, David Blunkett said: “Thanks to this Government’s sentencing reforms, life now means life for the most heinous crimes. This technology will allow us to be equally tough with offenders released from prison using the latest technology to ensure they are sticking to the conditions of their licence and staying away from crime.
“However, our sentencing reforms were not just about being tougher on the most serious offenders. This technology will allow us to develop and promote the tough community sentences which are vital if we are to prevent re-offending and give non-violent offenders a chance to serve an effective sentence in the community.
“The public have to be confident that this ‘prison without bars’ works and that it gives the police and probation services the tools they need to protect them.”
Assistant Chief Constable Liam Brigginshaw, speaking for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said that he welcomed the evaluation of satellite tracking, saying: “All police forces are aware of some individuals whose offending levels can inflict misery on local communities. Having greater levels of information and intelligence about the movements and behaviour of these individuals will be beneficial in preventing and solving crime and protecting the public.”
Two separate types of tracking will be tested in the pilots. Passive tracking whereby an individual is required to submit location data at a certain time of the day, will allow retrospective monitoring. The second hybrid tracking system will flag up when an offender moves into a exclusion area and switch to monitoring their movements in real time.
The pilots will run initially for 12 months, then the Government will decide whether to roll the scheme out nationwide. It has set aside £3 million for the project.
Responding to the announcement, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten gave his backing for the trials. Mr Oaten said: “This technology could be a real step forward both for public protection and for public confidence in community sentences.
“Satellite tracking opens up new possibilities for offenders to pay back the communities they have harmed while ensuring that their movements are closely monitored.”
