The Metropolitan Police is introducing a pilot approach under which officers will not routinely take enforcement action over certain minor electronic tag and curfew breaches, as the force seeks to focus resources on cases posing greater risks to the public.
Under the arrangement, reported by Sky News and ITV News on Sunday 25 October, breaches lasting less than an hour — including short curfew violations or tag battery failures — will still be reviewed. However, they will not normally be escalated towards arrest unless officers identify safeguarding concerns, a particular public-safety risk or other circumstances warranting action.
Who does the pilot cover?
ITV News reports that the pilot, which is expected to run until spring, applies to people subject to court bail. It should not be described as a blanket exemption for prisoners released early from custody, who may be subject to different licence conditions and recall procedures.
The wider context is pressure on police resources associated with the criminal justice system and increased use of electronic monitoring. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has previously warned about the additional demands arising from early prisoner releases.
High-risk cases remain a priority
The Met says it will continue to prioritise high-risk offenders, including domestic abusers, and cases where a breach may threaten victims or public safety. The force has said that officers respond to more than 100 tagging breaches a day, many of them low-level incidents.
In comments reported by Sky News, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson argued that lengthy police deployments over brief or belatedly reported breaches can divert officers from work that better protects the public. The force says it is working with criminal justice partners to consider proportionate consequences where similar breaches have not previously resulted in court sanctions.
Government response and wider concerns
The Government has defended its approach to prison overcrowding and offender supervision, arguing that early-release measures were needed to prevent the prison system from reaching a point at which police arrests could be affected. Ministers say expanded electronic tagging and licence controls are intended to protect the public.
Critics of early-release arrangements have raised concerns about the ability of police, probation services and monitoring providers to supervise offenders effectively. The new Met pilot raises a separate question: how to distinguish low-level breaches from warning signs requiring urgent intervention.
The change does not mean all electronic tag breaches will be ignored or that a breach automatically carries no consequence. Officers will continue to assess notifications and respond where risk or safeguarding considerations justify action.