Manitoba expands ankle-bracelet monitoring to rural areas

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This article was published 29/11/2024 (284 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SELKIRK — Some accused offenders out on bail in rural Manitoba, including those alleged to have abused their spouse, could be forced to wear ankle monitors, Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said Friday.

“I think this is going to be a game changer for communities across this province,” said Wiebe at a news conference in Selkirk.

“Obviously, we’ve seen tragedies in this province. We know that our crime rates… in rural Manitoba, specifically, are high and we know that our rates of intimate partner violence are high compared to the rest of the country.”

He said he thinks police and the courts will “really lean into” the program as officials start to understand the technology and how it is used.

The program, which launched in Winnipeg in August, is being expanded to several communities, including Selkirk, Portage la Prairie, Steinbach, Morden and Winkler, Brandon and Virden, and Dauphin, as well as smaller towns near them. It has yet to roll out to any areas north of Dauphin.

Supt. John Duff, who commands the eastern Manitoba RCMP district from the Selkirk detachment, said in his decades in policing, he has found that a small number of individuals commit much of the crime in a given area.

“These chronic offenders are usually well-known to police, and often on (court) conditions,” he said. “These individuals keep our officers extremely busy, both in responding to calls for service, responding to violent incidents and when investigations unfold.”

Duff said the ankle monitors will help officers investigate effectively and protect people and property.

Under the program, judges have the discretion to order accused individuals to wear the GPS-equipped monitors, which track them 24/7, pending court proceedings. As of Friday, 31 people have been subject to monitoring under the program; the first accused was outfitted with a bracelet Sept. 12.

The province currently has a total 100 bracelets available, though that number could double to 200.

Probation services, the Crown prosecutions office and police enforce the program, while security company Commissionaires Manitoba monitors it under the province’s authority. The devices use voice, audio and vibration commands to communicate with the alleged offender, as well as loud alerts if the person enters a location they’re barred from attending.

The head of the union that represents RCMP officers Manitoba praised the announcement.

“This is a huge step forward from the current system, and we hope this alleviates some pressure on our members,” National Police Federation president and CEO Brian Sauvé said in an email late Friday.

It will allow the justice system to track the geographical location of those out on bail and notify officials when restrictions imposed by a judge are violated, enabling RCMP officers to make an arrest before an incident occurs, he said.

“While these devices are not foolproof, they do have the potential to free up police time and resources and will work to reduce violence and prevent further tragedies associated with repeat offenders and individuals out on bail,” Sauve said.

The federation has long advocated for the federal and provincial governments to invest in deploying technologies that are proven effective at monitoring bail condition compliance, he said.

People accused of violent crimes, including homicides, attempted murder and aggravated sexual assaults, are not eligible for the program. However, eligibility was expanded Friday to include certain cases of intimate partner violence. The province initially did not grant those offences eligibility, with Wiebe saying in August officials had to conduct consultations on the matter.

The victim of a person charged with intimate partner violence will have access to a phone application to alert commissionaires and law enforcement and monitor the accused’s location. They’ll be notified through the app if their alleged abuser breaches court conditions.

Tsungai Muvingi, provincial co-ordinator for the Manitoba Association of Shelter Workers, said the initiative will help keep women safe and hold abusers accountable.

“The expansion… into rural communities marks a significant step in addressing the escalation in the levels of violence we are seeing across Manitoba,” she said. “It’s sadly become all too common for perpetrators to look for, stalk, harass, coerce and continue to abuse women, children and individuals who are fleeing gender-based violence.”

The Manitoba government has earmarked $2.9 million for the program over two years, which the province may continue funding based on its success, Wiebe said.

In 2017, the Progressive Conservative government scrapped the ankle bracelet program. Heather Stefanson, who was justice minister at the time, called it inaccurate and ineffective.

The Tories decided to bring back the program and issued a request for proposal in 2023. The contract was granted in June under the NDP government.

Progressive Conservative justice critic Wayne Balcaen expressed concern about the expanded monitoring program on Friday.

“Ankle bracelets are a tool for law enforcement to use, however, Manitobans fed up with this NDP government’s revolving door want jail, not bail for repeat violent offenders,” said Balcaen, a former Brandon police chief, in a statement. “A violent offender in jail poses no risk to Manitobans.”

— with files from Carol Sanders

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca