BURGLARS, thieves and robbers from North Wales will be fitted with GPS tag upon on their release from prison.

The ‘world first’ scheme was initially launched as a pilot in six police force areas, including Cheshire, but is now being extended to cover much of the rest of the country, including in North Wales.

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

With more than half of those convicted of theft and burglary reoffending within a year and almost 80 per cent of cases resulting in no suspect being identified, this will be a vital extra source of intelligence to help police catch these persistent offenders.

Under rules coming into effect in September, burglars, robbers and thieves that have served a prison sentence of a year or more will be automatically fitted with a tag 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.

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.

Minister for Crime and Policing, Kit Malthouse MP, said: "Being burgled or robbed is devastating and I understand how frustrating it is when the perpetrators can’t be caught, both for the public and the police.

"Tagging these prolific offenders so we know where they are 24 hours a day should be powerful persuasion to change their ways and will help police find and charge them if they don’t. It’s another tool helping probation staff to cut crime and keep the public safe."

National Police Chief’s Council Electronic Monitoring Lead, Deputy Chief Constable Jon Stratford, said: "Tagging prolific offenders provides a strong deterrent and means officers will be able to quickly arrest and gather evidence against anyone suspected of being involved in a robbery, burglary or other theft.

"This scheme will play a part in our overall work to prevent crime and keep our communities safe."

Other measures in the Beating Crime Plan include:

  • permanently relaxing conditions on the use of section 60 stop and search powers to empower police to take more knives off the streets
  • trialling the use of alcohol tags – which detect alcohol in the sweat of offenders guilty of drink-fuelled crime – on prison leavers in Wales; this is to address the fact alcohol is a significant driver of crime, playing a part in 39% of all violent crime
  • making unpaid work more visible by getting offenders to clean up streets, alleys, estates, and open spaces, and ensuring justice is seen to be done
  • investing over £45m in specialist support in both mainstream schools and Alternative Provision – including mental health professionals, family workers, and speech and language therapists – in serious violence hotspots to support young people at risk of involvement in violence to re-engage in education
  • a new £17m package for Violence Reduction Units to provide high-intensity therapeutic and specialist support from trained youth workers, including at crisis points such as when a young person is being admitted to A&E with a knife injury or upon arrest, to divert them away from violence
  • rolling out two further rounds of the Safer Streets Fund to increase the safety of public spaces through steps including targeted patrols, increased lighting and CCTV, and work with councils to design out crime
  • enhancing the role for Police and Crime Commissioners by launching the second part of the PCC Review to equip them with the tools they need to drive down crime and anti-social behaviour in their local areas