Durham Police and Crime Commissioner supports introduction of electronic tagging in new programme

Durham Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has pledged her support to Durham Constabulary taking part in a new national scheme aimed at deterring and detecting acquisitive crimes through the tracking of movements of neighbourhood criminals upon release from prison.

Phase 2 of the IOM (Integrated Offender Management Unit) Electronic Monitoring National Strategy went live last month. The programme will see offenders who meet the neighbourhood crime criteria (burglary, robbery, theft from person, theft from/of vehicle) wear GPS tags for up to 12 months on release from prison.

The project currently in its implementation phase, will allow the sharing of information between Durham Police and the Probation service and the MOJ(Ministry of Justice)

Durham Constabulary already use GPS tags with known offenders on a voluntary basis to support their efforts to prevent and detect crime through Checkpoint and the IOM unit. Durham is one of 13 forces nationally to go live with the scheme.

Durham PCC Joy Allen said : “Across County Durham and Darlington residents have told me their concerns with burglary and theft. They want to know we are taking every action possible to prevent crime in their communities and this is a step forward to ensure residents feel safer.

“This new scheme will act as a deterrent to future reoffending.I am determined to take a forward approach to tackling reoffending and I am pleased that Durham Constabulary has confirmed their commitment to tackle burglaries and theft by implementing this scheme.”

Regional Probation Director Bronwen Elphick said: “This joint initiative between the Probation Service and Durham Constabulary provides an opportunity to manage people on probation in a multi-agency way via the IOM, utilising technology to provide a protective factor to communities and an opportunity for people to engage with the terms of their licence.

“The scheme went live in the County Durham and Darlington area on 29th September 2021, while the eligible numbers at this time remain low, all of those released with a tag, have fully complied with the conditions of their licences and welcomed the opportunity to wear them to help ‘steer them on the right path’. As one of only 13 probation/police force areas in the country piloting this programme; we are pleased the scheme is off to a positive start and welcome the opportunity of working more closely with partner agencies”

Detective Inspector Michel Bostock said: “Durham Constabulary’s Integrated Offender Management (IOM) Unit are excited to support our colleagues in probation with Electronic Monitoring for Acquisitive Crime.The aim is that the device will act as a deterrent and reduce reoffending. From the IOM perspective we are optimistic that this will provide opportunities to navigate offenders away from crime with the ultimate success being that we have less victims.

“For those offenders who continue to commit crime the monitoring device provides officers with the investigative opportunity to identify any offender wearing a monitoring device (who is eligible under this scheme and therefore fitted with a device) that has been in the vicinity of a crime.”

“It allows for the quick arrest of offenders and gathering of evidence for anyone suspected of being involved in robbery, burglary or theft offences. This provides us will a real opportunity to keep our Communities safe”

Under the new rules offenders who commit burglaries, robberies and thefts who have serviced a prison sentence of a year or more will be automatically fitted with a tag on release to monitor their whereabouts 24-hours a day for up to 12 months.