The provincial government has announced they will put enough money forward to add 100 ankle monitors to track offenders out on bail. Some of those monitors will help fulfill a promise that the provincial program will be expanded to include Brandon.
In their release, the province said they were investing $1.2 million this year to double the number of ankle monitors available from 100 to 200. This would bring the total investment up to $2.7 million.
“The expansion of the electronic monitoring program is a meaningful step forward to enhancing public safety in Brandon,” said Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett. “This technology gives our police service a stronger ability to monitor individuals on bail, respond swiftly to violations, and prevent further criminal activity – all of which enhances public safety. This initiative reflects a shared commitment between the Manitoba government and the City of Brandon to protect our community and ensure Brandon remains a safe place to live and do business.”
The province reintroduced this program in August of last year to supervise offenders out on community-based sentences and court-imposed conditions. As of July 10, the program recorded a total of 321 participants with all 100 devices currently in use to monitor compliance.
“Our government is taking important steps to make communities safer by putting another part of our public safety strategy into action,” said Justice Minister Matt Wiebe. “We’re cracking down on repeat offenders by expanding the electronic monitoring program and doubling the amount of ankle monitors to help keep people safe. We’ve heard from people across the province about the impact crime has had in their communities and they want repeat offenders held accountable to the release conditions. That’s why we took action to bring back this important program that was initially cut by the previous government. After a successful start to this program last summer, we are responding to the demand for more ankle monitors and devices to monitor those released on bail, ensuring the safety and well-being of Manitobans.”
The program first started in Winnipeg last August and expanded in November to include Brandon, Souris, Portage la Prairie, Steinbach, Dauphin, Selkirk and Winkler. It also implemented alerts for victims of intimate partner violence.
In the release, Wiebe added they plan to introduce new curfew monitoring software that uses secure video conferencing and biometric identification to monitor offenders who do not require a traditional ankle bracelet.
