The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe said officials are concerned about the high number of persons committing offences, while they are being electronically monitored.

According to Mr Munroe the ankle monitoring bracelet’s primary purpose is to provide the locations of the individual as they are GPS located and depending on the conditions of their bail, the ankle monitoring bracelets have curfews.

“The monitor just monitors where you are, it does not monitor your mind,” Mr Munroe told reporters on the sideline of a press conference at the Ministry of National Security yesterday.

“So, if somebody is robbed, and we find that there’s somebody who looks to be at the exact spot at the time the robbery was taking place, that’s a fairly good suspect,” he added.

Since December of last year, Metro Security Solutions has been responsible for the monitoring devices.

Previously, Migrafill Security Group held the contract.

When asked by reporters the number of people being monitored, Mr Munroe said he had not been briefed on that information.

Mr Munroe said he is to schedule a meeting with the Director of Public Prosecutions in view of the recent trends of persons committing offences and being victims of crime while being monitored.

He also pointed out that at one point more than 50 percent of persons out on bail for murder were the subjects of murders in the country.

“The issue is the high incidence of persons committing offences while they are monitored and on bail and the high incidence of people who are being the victims of murders themselves. That is a concern for us, “he said yesterday.

One murder victim was a 38-year-old man being electronically monitored and on bail for murder. He was shot dead on Saturday after he allegedly attempted to rob a woman of her car, according to police.

Another was earlier this month when a 40-year-old man, who was shot and killed at a farmer’s market on Baillou Hill Road South, was said to be on bail for a serious offence at the time of his murder.

Last month, Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander said police recently charged 38 men who were on bail for serious crimes and who were being monitored for breaching their bail conditions.

He said many suspects on bail for serious crimes intentionally fail to charge their electronic monitoring devices so as to commit more crimes.