Burglars, thieves and robbers in North Wales to be fitted with a GPS tracking tags on release from prison

Burglars, thieves and robbers from North Wales who have served a prison sentence of a year or more will be fitted with a GPS tag on their release.

The ‘world first’ scheme to crack down on neighbourhood criminals was initially launched in six police force areas, including Cheshire and the Welsh force area of Gwent in April but is being extended to cover North Wales.

The move is part of a new UK government’s Beating Crime Plan published today to “ensure the public is better protected across all parts of the country.”

The plan includes each neighbourhood having contactable, named police officers, who know their area and are “best placed to ensure that persistent crime and anti-social behaviour is tackled.”

The UK government also says it will make unpaid community work more visible by “getting offenders to clean up streets, alleys, estates, and open spaces, and ensuring justice is seen to be done.”

There will also be league tables published on the response times for each force’s 101 and 999 lines.

GPS tags will be automatically fitted “burglars, thieves and robbers” in North Wales on release, allowing their whereabouts to be monitored by GPS satellites 24 hours a day for up to 12 months.

Police will be able to work with HM Prison and Probation Service staff to investigate whether those on the tags have been in the vicinity of recent burglaries, thefts and robberies.

“It could provide the crucial evidence needed to catch the perpetrators.” The UK government says.

The intention is the tags will also act as a deterrent, protecting the public from further burglaries and thefts and forcing these career criminals to choose a more honest way of making a living. It is hoped this novel approach will reduce the estimated £4.8 billion burden such crimes place on the taxpayer every year.

Police officers will be able to submit any burglaries, thefts or robberies they are investigating to a dedicated unit overseen by HM Prison and Probation Service.

Trained staff will then be able to check the location history of those on tags against the details of the crime, allowing police to either rule out or investigate suspects further.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

I am absolutely determined to cut crime and deliver a safer society for the public, and the Beating Crime Plan shows how the government is going to do just that.