Electronic tag alerts sent by email are 'too slow' to protect domestic abuse victims, warn experts

Electronic tag alerts are 'too slow' to protect domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking victims from their attackers, experts have warned.Currently, if a criminal wearing an ankle tag breaches their exclusion zones, probation officers are just sent an email - meaning nothing will be done until the following day if the alert is sent out of working hours.As thousands of convicts are due to be set loose early from October under Labour's early release scheme, watchdogs have said these alerts could come 'too late' for those living in fear of their abusers.In the last six months, suspects breaching their tag conditions have already rocketed by nearly 50 per cent in London alone, from 2,977 in January to 4,408 in July.These breaches could involve contacting, threatening or even attacking their victims, going on the run, flouting a curfew, attempting to remove a tag or going to a prohibited area.The Ministry of Justice has been looking to roll out real-time GPS tracking, giving probation officers access to a perpetrator's location within five to 15 minutes.But this is still in early development, only on trial in London and the West Midlands, and only expected to be available nationally by the end of 2027 - potentially more than a year after the early release scheme kicks in.Martin Jones, the chief inspector of probation, said that the current system only provides 'retrospective information that is no reassurance to victims at all.' Experts have warned ankle tag alerts are 'too slow' to protect victims from their attackers as thousands of prisoners are due to be released in October and tag breaches skyrocket Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he was 'flabbergasted' at the growing number of suspects charged with gun and knife crimes who are being let back on to the streetsHe told the Telegraph: 'At present, the electronic monitoring is too clunky and reactive. We need a shift to smoother, proactive management.'I know the Metropolitan Police have voiced very similar concerns around the need for faster real-time information.'If it is to command public confidence, we need electronic monitoring systems that can be used to provide faster responses where they are needed.'Met Police Chief Sir Mark Rowley said he was already 'flabbergasted' at the growing number of suspects charged with gun and knife crimes who were being let back onto the streets on bail.Sir Mark said he expected to see a rise in violent crime, with some offenders still being freed on bail on their fourth offence of being caught with a weapon.When these suspects breach bail conditions - like entering exclusion zones with a tag on - Sir Mark said he was 'really worried' that there is usually no consequence.He added: 'In more than 95 per cent of those cases we arrest them, put them before the courts and nothing changes, so that looks like nugatory [futile] effort.'Claire Waxman, the victims' commissioner, expressed concern about the apparently late rollout of the real-time GPS tagging scheme in 2027, as 4,500 offenders are scheduled for release in October.She said: 'With early release beginning in October, my concern is that promises may be outpacing what overstretched services can realistically deliver.'There is a real risk of a disconnect between the assurances being given to victims and the reality on the ground. Victims should not be left carrying the risk while systems are still being developed and tested.'Ben Cockburn, the national chairman of the trade union for probation workers called Napo, disputed ministers' assurances that officers would have 'constant access' to real-time GPS locations of suspects.He said it was misleading about what probation staff were actually able to do and added that the trial of the new tech in London and the West Midlands had 'no apparent evaluation' being done.There is no word on how much the new tech will cost and who will be receiving the money either, Mr Cockburn said.A spokesman for the MoJ said: 'Public safety is our top priority. That is why we are investing a record £700m to give our hard-working probation officers the tools they need to keep the public safe.'We are also rolling out the biggest expansion of tagging in UK history. That includes new tech that gives probation real-time access to offender locations, world-first restriction zones that confine offenders to specific areas and a presumption that every prison leaver will be tagged.'Serco, the contractor that oversees the current email-based system, said they were 'delivering an excellent service' and 'meeting all our contractual measures.'They have been in charge of four early release schemes and say they have the resources necessary to support October's tranche of 4,500 convicts being back on UK streets.